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Chapter Ten: Dante

I paced my office like a caged animal, the silk of my pajamas rustling with each turn. Jade’s face haunted me, her absence a constant ache in my chest. Three weeks. No word. No sign. And she was pregnant with my child.

“Where the fuck are you?” I muttered, running a hand through my disheveled hair.

My mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last. Had she been taken? Was she hurt? Or had she simply decided to vanish, to keep our baby away from the dangerous world I lived in?

The thought made my stomach churn. I couldn’t blame her if she had, but the idea of never seeing her again, never meeting our child...it was unbearable.

A sharp knock interrupted my spiral. “Come in,” I barked, collapsing into the chair behind my desk.

Sal entered. His face was grim. “Boss, we’ve got a problem.”

I leaned forward, forcing myself to focus. “What is it?”

“The feds are closing in. They’ve doubled surveillance on all our operations. We lost two shipments this week alone.”

“Tell me you mean the NYPD,” I said.

“Looks like they’re working together,” Sal said, rubbing his hand on his face.

Fuck. This was really bad. I still needed to hear him confirm it. “So…how bad is this?”

Sal’s eyes darted nervously. “Bad, boss. If we don’t find a way to throw them off soon, we’re looking at serious jail time. All of us.”

The weight of responsibility settled heavy on my shoulders. I had an empire to protect, men who depended on me. But all I could think about was Jade.

“We need to lay low for a while,” I said, rubbing my temples. “Tell the boys to halt all major operations. Stick to the legal businesses for now.”

Sal nodded, but hesitated. “Boss, there’s something else. The Carusos are making moves. They smell blood in the water.”

I cursed under my breath. Just what I needed - vultures circling while I was distracted.

“Keep an eye on them,” I ordered. “If they try anything, we hit back hard. Make an example.”

“Got it, boss.” Sal paused, eyeing my rumpled pajamas. “You okay? You look like shit.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “I’m fine. Just...personal stuff.”

Sal’s expression softened. “Still no word from her?”

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak.

“We’ll find her, boss,” Sal said firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

As he left, I slumped back in my chair. The walls of my penthouse felt like they were closing in. I needed to do something, anything, to find Jade. But where the hell did I even start?

I turned back to my computer, fingers flying over the keyboard. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter - I scoured every social media site I could think of. Jade’s name and face burned in my mind as I searched, hoping for even the smallest trace of her.

Nothing. Not a single post, comment, or photo. It was like she’d vanished into thin air.

“Fuck!” I slammed my fist on the desk, frustration boiling over. My heart raced, anxiety clawing at my chest. Where was she? Was she safe? The image of her, pregnant and alone, haunted me.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think. There had to be something I was missing. Someone who could help.

Marco. My brother was a pain in the ass, but he had connections I didn’t. And when it came to family, he always came through.

I grabbed my phone, hitting his number on the speed dial. It rang twice before he picked up.

“Dante? It’s early, man. What’s wrong?”

“I need your help,” I said, my voice tight. “It’s about Jade.”

There was a pause. “Still no word?”

“Nothing. I’m going crazy here, Marco. I need to find her.”

“Alright, alright. I’m on it. What do you need?”

“Use your contacts. Check hospitals, airports, anywhere she might have gone. And keep it quiet. I don’t want the wrong people getting wind of this.”

“You got it, brother. I’ll start making calls right away.”

“Thanks, Marco. I owe you one.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll cash in when I need to,” Marco said, a smile in his voice. I already felt a little better, but I knew I wouldn’t feel good until I found Jade.

As I hung up, a flicker of hope sparked in my chest. With Marco’s help, maybe we had a chance. I stood up, suddenly aware of how ridiculous I looked in my pajamas. Time to get my shit together. I had a woman to find.

The restaurant buzzed with lunchtime chatter, but I barely noticed. My eyes were glued to my phone, waiting for Marco’s call. The waiter refilled my coffee for the third time. I nodded absently, not even tasting it.

Finally, my phone vibrated. Marco’s name flashed on the screen.

“Talk to me,” I said, voice low.

“I’ve got something, but it’s not much,” Marco replied. “A nurse at St. Mary’s remembers seeing someone matching Jade’s description about a week ago. She came in for a prenatal checkup.”

My heart raced. “And?”

“She used a fake name. Left before they could run any tests. The nurse said she seemed scared, Dante.”

I clenched my fist. “Shit. Any idea where she went after?”

“Nothing solid. But I’ve got feelers out. Someone will talk eventually.”

“We need to move fast,” I said, glancing around the restaurant. “The longer she’s out there...”

“I know, I know. We’ll find her, bro. Just sit tight for now, okay? Don’t do anything stupid.”

I grunted, ending the call. Sitting tight wasn’t my strong suit.

I signaled for the check, tossing some bills on the table. As I stood, a prickle ran down my spine. Something felt off.

Outside, I scanned the street. Nothing looked out of place, but years in this business had honed my instincts. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

A black SUV idled across the street. Tinted windows. I casually adjusted my jacket, feeling the reassuring weight of my gun.

Was it the Carusos? Those bastards had been pushing into our territory lately. If they caught wind of Jade...

I quickened my pace, ducking into an alley. My mind raced. I needed to get somewhere safe, regroup. Figure out my next move.

One thing was certain – I wasn’t about to let anyone or anything stop me from finding Jade. Not the Carusos, not the cops, not even my own family. She was out there, carrying my child. And I’d burn this whole city down if that’s what it took to bring her home.

My phone buzzed. Marco again.

“What?” I snapped, pacing the alley.

“Calm down, man. Remember what the detective said – stay put.”

I kicked a trash can. “Fuck that. I can’t just sit around while Jade’s out there.”

“I get it, but we gotta play this smart. You go off half-cocked, you could blow the whole operation.”

I leaned against the brick wall, scrubbing a hand over my face. “I know, I know. It’s just...she’s pregnant, Marco. My kid’s out there.”

“I know, but…well, do you want me to call Dad?”

“Fuck no. Leave Dad out of this. I can handle myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” I replied.

“Okay. In that case, you have to calm down. Take a deep breath. I need you to trust me, alright?”

I took a deep breath. “Yeah. Okay.”

“Good. Now go home, get some rest. I’ll call if anything comes up.”

I hung up, my jaw clenched. Every instinct screamed at me to act, to do something. But Marco was right. I had to play this smart.

Back at my penthouse, I paced the office like a caged animal. Jade’s face haunted me – her smile, her eyes. The way she’d looked at me the last time I saw her.

“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the wall.

I couldn’t sit still. Couldn’t think straight. My mind kept spinning through worst-case scenarios. What if the Carusos had her? What if she was hurt? What if–

No. I couldn’t go down that road. I had to stay focused, stay sharp. For Jade. For our baby.

I collapsed into my chair, head in my hands. How the hell had I let this happen?

I was Dante fucking Moretti.

I ran this city.

And I couldn’t even protect the woman I loved.