Page 1 of My Sweetest Obsession

“And you really think she could be in Italy?” Luca asked.

Dante shook his head. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that her father is your best shot at tracking down the fucker who took her.” Though he spoke calmly, but the weight of despair crushed my chest, leaving jagged shards of guilt that cut deep, a constant reminder of my fuck up.

“Well, let’s go,” Liam declared, striding toward the door.

“No, son. You need to stay here,” Dante replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“No. No way. I’m coming with you.” Liam exclaimed.

“Son, I need you to stay here. It’s too dangerous,” Dante insisted.

“That’s bullshit, Dad!” Liam snapped, fists clenched at his sides. “I already let her down once.” He shook his head, pain etched across his face. “I won’t do it again.” His voice dropped to a whisper, raw with emotion.

I tightened my jaw at his response. I couldn’t tell whether I was consumed by jealousy or struggling with the anger that came from having to accept how much he cared about my angel.

I needed to snap out of these feelings so I could focus on what truly mattered. “He’s right,” I said, my voice steady as I rose slowly to my feet. Liam turned to me, his eyes bright with a flicker of hope, as if he believed I might invite him to join us. But the truth was far from that; it was the complete opposite.

“I know how much Gigi means to you,” I continued. “If anything happens toyou, it will breakher.”

And I refused to let that happen.

Liam searched my eyes, and after a long moment, he dropped his hands from his hips, resignation creeping into his posture. “Okay. I’ll stay behind. But the moment she’s found?—”

“I’ll call you, son.” Dante’s tone was final.

Just then, a sharp knock interrupted the tense atmosphere in the room. “Come in,” I called out.

Miguel walked in, his expression serious as he stood at the threshold. “Boss, there’s a detective here to see you.”

“Don’t care,” I replied. “Send him on his way.”

“That may not be a good idea,” Enzo said.

I snapped my head in Enzo’s direction. “I give a fuck all for your opinion.”

“Nico,” Enzo urged, “your front lawn was covered with dead bodies, there’s a gaping hole in your basement, and your place is shot up to hell. A car crashed through your front door! There are going to be questions. It's better to have CPD involved before the feds come sniffing around. I’ve already had to clean up the mess youandyour men left behind at the warehouse.”

“I sure as hell didn’t ask for your help, Enzo,” I shot back. “I have a few cops on the payroll who could’ve handled this. I don’t need a stranger poking around in my business.”

“Look.” Enzo rubbed his forehead as if he was trying to massage away a headache. “He’ll be one cop asking a few questions, and then he will leave. If you give him any reason to be suspicious, you’ll have a problem on your hands. You’re lucky it’smehandling this and not some other FBI agent.”

I gritted my teeth. He made a good point, and I cursed under my breath, knowing I had no other choice but to do as he said.

“Alright, send him in,” I conceded. The sooner this was over, the sooner I could work on getting my girl back.

“But I’m warning you Enzo—one wrong move, and he’s dead. That badge won’t save him from me.” My eyes narrowed, daring him to challenge my resolve.

He remained silent, his expression unreadable.

The door swung open, and a familiar figure stepped inside. He was dressed casually—the fitted black leather jacket clung to his athletic build, and the badge dangling from his neck felt like a taunt. This pompous prick thought he could waltz in and sniff around my turf.

“Nico,” the cop greeted.

“Alexander Stone,” I replied, my tone flat.

“Do you know each other?” Enzo asked.

I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, eyeing Stone with skepticism. “Yes. His reputation precedes him.”