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I get to JFK in record time. The moment I pull into the parking lot, I spot it—Maria’s sleek Range Rover parked near the entrance. Everything looks normal on the outside, no signs of a struggle.

I step out of my car, my movements sharp, every nerve in my body screaming at me. The closer I get, the colder my blood runs. I keep my gaze locked on the perimeter.

As I near the car, that’s when I notice something on the windshield.

A note.

I yank it free, my fingers tightening around the edges as my eyes scan the words. A single sentence.

Looks like it’s my turn to take your wife, Matteo. —From your old friend G.

The world narrows. Every sound fades. Every thought burns away, leaving only one thing—cold, murderous intent.

I turn sharply, heading back to my car, one thought blazing through me like fire:Kill him.

But before I can get in, tires screech against the pavement. A black SUV pulls up fast, and Valerio steps out before the engine even fully dies. His eyes land on the note in my hand, then flick to Maria’s empty car.

“Fuck,” he breathes. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

“I need to go.”

Valerio’s face darkens, his jaw tightening as he stalks toward me. “Boss.” His voice is sharp with a clear warning. “Think before you fucking act.”

I shove the note into his chest. “There’s nothing to think about.”

His gaze scans the words, then snaps back to mine. “This is a fucking trap.”

“And you think I give a shit? He’s got my wife, Valerio. My wife.” The words taste like blood in my mouth because saying them makes it real. “He won’t hesitate to kill her. You know exactly what kind of monster he is.”

Valerio curses under his breath, dragging a hand through his hair. “I know you don’t give a damn when it comes to her,” he says. “But if you charge in without a plan, Maria dies. You could die. Then what the hell will it all have been for?”

He locks eyes with me. “I need you to calm down—we need to come up with a plan that’ll actually work.”

The words slam into me, white-hot and suffocating. My hands shake, my breaths coming in sharp, uneven bursts. I know he’s right. I fucking know. But every instinct in my body is screaming to move. To hunt. To kill.

Valerio steps closer, his voice low but firm. “Listen to me. We will get her back. But we have to be smart about this. Giacomo won’t just kill her like that. This whole game he is playing isabout making you suffer in the worst way possible. He won’t kill her yet.”

Logically, I know he’s right. But logic doesn’t register right now. All I can think about is that my wife is with him.

My pulse pounds, my mind at war with itself. The need to act is crushing, suffocating—but the truth in his words is undeniable.

I force out a breath. A slow, lethal inhale.

“We head back to the penthouse and track Maria’s phone to see where it last pinged,” I tell my second. “Then we meet with Dario and his men and come up with a solid plan of attack. I’d say we’ve got roughly two hours to get our shit together.”

The timeline alone rips the hope straight out of my chest.

Two hours. That’s two hours too long.

Giacomo could do so much to her in that time.

And the worst part? There’s nothing I can do to stop it—not yet.

“Okay, I’ll drive. Leave your car here,” Valerio says, already moving toward his.

I follow close behind.

Valerio slides into the driver’s seat, his hands tight on the wheel. I settle into the back, gripping my phone so hard I’m surprised it hasn’t shattered.