And then he hung up.
Now I stand here, staring at my desk, that last sentence pressing against my ribs like a loaded gun. They didn’t even give me terms. No ransom, no demands—just a promise that this wasn’t over.
Which meant they wanted me desperate.
Which also meant they were playing a bigger game.
And that is what terrifies me the most.
Because they didn’t take Sofia for money.
They took her to get atme.
I reach for my lighter, flick it open, close it again. The repetition is the only thing keeping my hands steady. I haveenemies. More than I can count. But this right now, with the Lombardis, it isn’t just a move. This isstrategy.
There's a sharp knock at the door.
I don’t turn. "Come in."
The door creaks open. I know, from the very sound of his footsteps, that it's Mancini. He steps inside.
I wheel around and find his expression bleak, his suit rumpled. He looks as exhausted as I feel, but I don’t have the patience for it. I turn on him the second the door shuts.
"What the fuck happened last night?" My voice is low, strained from trying to maintain an ounce of control.
Mancini exhales wearily, raking a hand through his hair. "I told you. I saw them take her?—"
"And then what?" I snap. "You justlostthem?"
His mouth tightens and his eyes grow dark. "I followed as long as I could, but they were fast. Cut through side streets, no plates. I tried calling you, but my phone—" He pulls it from his pocket, screen dead. "Battery died. By the time I got back here, I had nothing."
Every fiber in me wants to hit something, to hurl this entire fucking desk across the room, but I force myself to be still. Losing my temper won’t bring her back.
I take a slow breath, then another.
"What do you know?" I ask.
Mancini shakes his head. "Nothing useful. No names, no faces. Just their style.Professional.Too clean for low-level guys. These were real enforcers, Marco. The kind that don’t leave loose ends."
His words send something cold slithering down my spine.
My palms curl into fists.
The Lombardis don’t take hostages. They don’t negotiate. If they took Sofia, it’s because they have something planned.
And I’m running out of time to stop it.
I turn away, staring out the window. The sky is still dark, the estate grounds stretching out before me, perfectly still. But my mind is a storm, unraveling every possibility, every angle.
Charging in without a plan would be suicide. They want me unhinged. They want me reckless.
I can’t give them that.
I inhale, my decision crystallizing.
"I want every contact we have on this," I reply coldly. "Every informant, every rat, every cop we own. Someoneknowswhere they took her."
Mancini nods. "I’ll make the calls."
