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At last, I saw a small gate on the boundary wall, unmanned at this hour. Without thinking, I scaled it and dropped to the ground. Before me lay a vast expanse of green, and right at the center was the mansion.

Larissa.

I was almost there.

I bent low and ran through the garden toward the house, knowing this was a game of speed. Before the patrol came this way, I had to be pressed against the house walls and then I’d have to check for open doors, open windows.

I was almost at the wall at the back of the house when I sensed loud movement to my left, coming from behind a shed that happened to be my blind spot.

I pulled out my gun and whirled around just as four men were ready to jump me, then froze when I noticed who they were. Gastone, Carlo, and Dino—Larissa’s brothers. Behind them, Dom stood watch.

They all had their guns pointed right at me, my back cornered against the wall. There was no escape, and seeing how I was outnumbered, I lowered my gun to buy myself time.

“Gentlemen,” I said coolly, even though my heart hammered in my ribs. If they wanted, they could kill me right here and now, and I knew it.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to regret my decision to come.

“You have exactly three seconds to explain why I shouldn't put a bullet between your eyes, Lebedev,” Gastone spat on the floor beside him.

I raised my hands slowly, calculating my chances against four armed men. “I came to see Larissa.”

“You fucking bastard,” Carlo lunged forward, only held back by Dino's grip on his shoulder. “You know exactly where she is!”

My stomach dropped. “What are you talking about?”

Dom stepped closer. “Stop playing games. Where is she?”

The confusion must have shown on my face because Gastone studied me with narrowed eyes. “You didn't take her?”

“Take her? What the hell happened to Larissa?” My voice came out rough and cracked as fear clawed at my throat. “I was trying to sneak in, to get a chance to talk to her.”

The brothers exchanged glances, and then Dom received a message on his walkie-talkie. “Boss,” he said to Gastone, “the guards checked. Lebedev came alone, and the car is empty.”

“Of course it’s empty!” I bellowed as the panic surged through me. “If I had her, I’d be out of here within seconds. If I had her, I wouldn’t be lingering here like a fool. Now, tell me. Where is Larissa?”

My voice had an edge to it, like an animal gone mad at the thought of losing its mate.

Dino was the first to put down his gun. “She's been missing for two hours. Her bedroom window was open, but no sign of trouble.”

My blood turned to ice. I shook my head slowly. “I had nothing to do with this. I came here tonight because...” I paused, unwilling to let them see just how much she meant to me. To see the depths of my love. I didn’t owe them the truth, not before I knew she felt the same for me.

Instead, I looked at them and met each gaze. “We have to get her back.”

“Let's go inside,” Gastone said after a moment of tense silence. “We need to figure this out.”

***

In Gastone's study, security footage played across multiple screens.

“This is from the street cameras,” Dino explained, pointing to a timestamp from earlier that night. A convoy of black SUVs passed slowly in front of the compound. The front vehicle bore a familiar insignia on its door.

“Casellis,” I murmured, recognizing the rival family's mark.

“What would the Casellis want with my sister?” Carlo demanded.

Gastone shifted uncomfortably, exchanging a glance with Dino that didn't escape my notice.

“What did you do?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.