Page 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

G oofy stopped the Jeep as the scene came into view.

The silence was eerie, broken only by the faint hum of our Jeep’s engine and the distant buzz of the drone overhead.

I scanned the area, taking in every detail I could through the wafts of fog as we slowly rolled up to the line of abandoned SUVs.

“Jesus,” Hero muttered from the passenger seat, his voice tight with tension.

I didn’t respond, couldn’t respond. My throat felt constricted as I spotted the first motionless figure slumped in one of the vehicles. Dom. My oldest friend, the man I trusted with my life—and, more importantly, with Jemma’s.

As soon as Goofy brought the Jeep to a stop, I yanked open the door with more force than necessary before I realized it was welded shut. I vaulted over it, my feet hitting the pavement before the others even moved, and hunkered down, my weapon trained in the opposite direction. Hero was the second one out and crouched down beside me.

There was no movement, no sound, nothing to disturb the sounds of nature.

I waited until Goofy tapped my back twice.

I sprinted to Dom’s and Dante’s SUV, its doors wide open, as fast as I could.

I reached my brother’s side and searched for the pulse on the side of his neck with trembling fingers.

For a moment, I couldn’t feel anything, and my world threatened to collapse. Then, faint but steady, I felt the pulse beneath my fingertips. I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

My gaze met Hero’s, who felt Dom’s pulse. “Strong and steady,” he whispered.

I nodded.

We moved quickly to the next vehicle, finding Hawk and Max in similar states. I checked them both, my movements becoming more frantic with each passing second. Alive but unresponsive.

What the actual fuck?

But my relief was short-lived and evaporated entirely when I looked into the back. Phantom and Rey. No Jemma, no Bella, no Mira.

A knot of dread grew in my stomach. Where were they?

I looked over to the last vehicle. Donnelly and his men—also unconscious but breathing. No Birdie, no Milli. Not a single woman .

I observed the tree line, but there was no sign of anyone—just complete and eerie silence.

“They’re all alive,” I announced to the others, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. “But the women are gone.”

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I surveyed the scene before me. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

“Jemma!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the silence. “Bella! Mira!”

No response. Just the mocking silence of nature.

I moved frantically between the vehicles, searching for any sign of where they might’ve gone. A scrap of clothing, a dropped phone, anything. But there was nothing. It was as if they’d vanished into thin air.

Or were taken.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. They were gone. Taken. My wife, my sisters—all snatched away while I sat on my ass, twiddling with a knife, thinking I was being smart by sending them away.

I stood in the middle of the road, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps as I fought to maintain control.

My vision turned narrow as hot rage bubbled up inside me, threatening to overwhelm everything else.

How could this have happened? Who could’ve known? And who could have pulled this off?

My mind raced, trying to connect the dots between the poisoning attempt and this attack .

“This was fast, coordinated, professional, and almost too precise,” Goofy said next to me.

I nodded. Stared at my incapacitated friends and family, feeling more helpless than I had in years.

The woman I loved was gone, along with my sisters. Taken right from under my nose.

This was too good, almost too coordinated for my father. But who else could’ve done this?

But I wouldn’t put it past him to use the women as leverage.

“Hero,” I barked, turning to my brother. “Find out where Father is. Now.”

Hero nodded grimly, pulled out his phone, and made a call.

I paced as I waited, my fingers itching to wrap around someone’s throat—preferably our father’s.

Peaches and Goofy called for help while I helped them pull one after the other out of the SUVs.

Hawk groaned, his eyes fluttered, but then he went back under.

I looked up when Peaches turned Max’s head and pulled a dart from his neck. “Tranquilizer.”

I cocked my head. This whole scenario was getting weirder by the second.

After what felt like an eternity, Hero lowered his phone. “Father’s still in New York,” he reported, his voice tight. “Hasn’t left for Italy like he was supposed to.”

That was all I needed to hear. The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity. Father had still not given up.

He was behind this. All of it .

My jaw clenched so hard, I thought my teeth might crack. “I’m going to New York,” I growled. “It’s time I had a chat with dear old Dad.”

Hero nodded, then turned around. Because right at that moment, the cavalry arrived.

I made sure they had enough working vehicles to transport everyone, then jumped into the Jeep.

This was something I needed to do alone, but before I could speed up, Hero jumped in front. “I’m coming with you.”

I cocked my head. I wanted my little brother as far away from this situation as possible. But maybe it was time to acknowledge that me trying to fix everything all alone, me trying to control everything, was not working. “Jump in,” I said, and Hero followed suit.

I glanced at him. “But if you get hurt or worse, I’ll kill you and kick your corpse all the way to Italy myself,” I said.

Hero didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. This wasn’t like Hero. Usually, he’d be cracking jokes or offering his opinion, whether I wanted it or not. His silence was unnerving.

“Listen,” I started again, softening my tone. “I know you’re worried about Bella and Mira.”

Hero shook his head. “I’m not worried. I’m fucking done with the asshole.”

I nodded and called ahead to La Dimora to let them know to prepare the helicopter. Then, and only then, did I allow myself to think about Jemma. Was she still alive? Was she scared?

Hold on, Punk, just a little while longer. I’m coming.