Chapter 38
Alex POV:
I sat in my office, the desk lamp casting long shadows. My phone buzzed, and Marcus's name flashed across the screen. I snatched it up. "I'm busy, Marcus," I growled, my eyes still scanning reports. "Make it quick. What's the situation?"
"Boss," Marcus said, his tone urgent. "There's been an incident. Elena and Sophia. They've been taken."
My blood turned to ice, my grip tightening on the phone until the edges bit into my palm. "What do you mean, taken?" I snarled, my voice low, dangerous, echoing in the quiet room.
"They were leaving Sophia's school," he rushed out, his words clipped. "A van. A group of men. Ambushed them. We're tracking their location, but-"
"Find them," I cut him off, my tone lethal, a command forged in steel. "I don't care what it takes. Rip this city apart if you have to. Find them. Now." I slammed the phone down; the screen cracked. I surged to my feet, my mind a storm of fury and dread.
Elena. Sophia. My world. My everything. Snatched from me because of the shadows I'd built my empire on. The thought clawed at my chest, a searing fear and rage I couldn't contain. They were mine to protect. I had failed them.
I stormed from the office, my men falling in step behind me like a trained pack, their boots a sharp cadence on the marble floor.
My mind churned. Elena's defiant spark, last seen brushing sand from her pajamas.
Sophia's laughter, ringing by the pool, innocent, unguarded.
They were my family, my blood and soul. Someone dared to touch them.
I climbed into the car, my fists clenched, knuckles whitened. "Drive faster," I barked at the driver, my voice a whipcrack, brooking no delay. The engine roared, and the city blurred past, streaks of gray and neon.
My thoughts spiraled. Elena's quiet strength; she stood by me despite my world's jagged edges.
Sophia's small hand in mine, her trust a tether.
I'd kill to preserve it. The idea of them hurt, some bastard's hands on them.
A fire ignited in my veins, a vow to tear apart whoever dared, with my bare hands.
"We've got a hit," Marcus's voice crackled through the comms, tense but steady. "A rundown house. South of the city. They're there. We're closing in."
"Wait for me," I growled, my tone a death knell. "I'm ending this myself."
The car screeched to a halt outside a dilapidated house, its sagging roof and peeling paint a mockery of the threat within. I didn't wait. I kicked the door open and stormed in.
My men fanned out behind me, weapons drawn, shadows in my wake. The air stank of mildew and menace, the silence thick with danger. I moved, my senses sharp, scanning every corner.
The second I heard her voice-choked, pleading-my world narrowed to a single point. Elena.
The gunshot cracked, the recoil biting my palm; I barely felt it. The bastard's skull snapped back, his blood painting the wall in a crimson arc. His body hit the floor like discarded trash, the knife clattering. Good fucking riddance.
Elena screamed, stumbling back, her wide eyes locked on the corpse. I was on her in three strides. My free hand seized her arm, hauling her against me. Her body trembled, her pulse fluttering like a trapped bird.
"Elena." Her name was a command, a demand, a fucking anchor in the chaos. Her gaze snapped to mine, her lips parted, but I scanned her for wounds-her throat, her arms. Her breath came too fast. No blood. No visible damage. Good.
Then movement. A second man, frozen near the stairs, hands half-raised. My grip tightened on the pistol. "Where's Sophia?" My voice was low, lethal, a promise of violence if he lied. Elena's fingers dug into my coat, her voice breaking. She pointed. "There. She's there. They've got her-"
The man bolted. I didn't waste a bullet; my men moved, boots pounding after him. I turned to the door Elena indicated. Sophia.
I dropped to my knees beside her, my gun hitting the floor. I brushed her hair back. "Sophia." Her name was a command, rough, laced with fear. "Open your eyes." Her lashes fluttered. "Elena?" Elena crashed down beside us, arms wrapped around Sophia, pulling her close.
The girl clung to her, body shaking, face buried in Elena's chest. I didn't linger on Elena's tears streaking her dirt-smudged cheeks, didn't feel my pulse hammering. Instead, I stood, my hand clamped on Elena's shoulder, my grip iron. Mine. Both of them.
"You're both safe now," I growled, the words a fucking vow. "No one touches you again. Ever." Elena looked up, her eyes glistening, voice raw. "I tried to save her." Something in my chest twisted.
I crouched, my hand cupped her cheek, my thumb brushing a tear. Her skin was cold, too cold. "You did enough," I said, my voice low, final. I meant it. Then I stood, turning toward the door, toward my men's shouts below, toward the blood I still had to spill. "Now I finish it."
I looked at Sophia. Her breathing was steady, her small hand gripped Elena's shirt, a fragile lifeline. I rose again, my presence filling the room, a silent force.
My men's shouts grew faint. The house was clear, but the air still thrummed with echoes of violence.
I extended a hand to Elena, my touch firm, grounding. She took it, her fingers intertwined with mine; my strength flowed to her, a quiet comfort.
I helped her up, her legs still shaky, but she stood tall beside me. We were a unit. Unbroken. By fear.
"Let's go," I said, my voice deep, command in every word. I scooped Sophia into my arms gently, like she was precious, my most prized possession. She stirred, her eyes fluttered open. She looked at me, then at Elena, a small, sleepy smile, a silent question.
"We're going home, baby," Elena whispered, her voice thick with relief. She reached out, stroking Sophia's hair.
Sophia nestled into me, a silent trust. I carried her out of the room, down the creaking stairs, past the scattered bodies of the men who had dared to threaten my family.
My men waited outside the house, their faces grim, their weapons ready. They looked at me, and I nodded to them, a silent order. They cleared a path to the black car. It waited, sleek and silent, a guardian in the twilight.
I placed Sophia in the back gently, buckling her in. Elena slid in beside her, her hand still touching Sophia's hair, reassuring herself.
The gun felt warm in my hand. I slid into the backseat beside them, the leather creaking. I settled in, my body angled toward Elena and Sophia, my arm draped possessively over the seat.
The scent of gunpowder and blood still clung to me, but beneath it, I caught the sweetness of Sophia's shampoo and Elena's vanilla perfume. Alive. Unharmed. Mine.
Sophia stirred as the car door shut. Her small face peeked from Elena's chest, her eyes red-rimmed but dry now, shock giving way to exhaustion.
When she saw me, her tiny fingers uncurled from Elena's shirt, reaching for me. I didn't hesitate.
I pulled her onto my lap, one hand cradling her head, the other gripping her small frame tight enough to feel her heart.
She curled into me, her cheek pressed against my chest, her breath warm through my shirt. Safe.
Elena watched us, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Her fingers twisted in her lap. Bruises formed on her wrists, faint marks from their grip. A snarl built in my throat, but I forced it down.
Not time for rage. Time to make them feel safe. I reached for Elena, my palm sliding along her jaw, my thumb brushing tear tracks. She leaned into my touch, her lashes fluttered, then opened. Her gaze locked on mine.
"Alexander," she whispered, my name a prayer, a plea. I didn't answer with words. I tugged her closer, her body pressed against my side, her head rested on my shoulder, Sophia still secure in my arms.
Elena's breath hitched, then she melted into me, her hand fisted in my coat, as if afraid I'd disappear. Never. The driver glanced in the rearview; a single look from me, and his eyes snapped back to the road. Good. He knew better.
I pressed a kiss to Sophia's head, then another against Elena's temple.
She shuddered, her fingers tightened in my coat.
"I've got you," I murmured, my voice rough.
"Both of you." Elena nodded, her breath warm against my neck.
Sophia yawned, her tiny body going lax in my hold.
Adrenaline gave way to sleep. I held them tighter.
When we got home, many changes awaited. Sophia would go to school, but with two guards: one seen, one unseen. Anyone who looked at her wrong would regret it before hitting the ground.
And Elena? A muscle twitched in my jaw. She wouldn't step outside without me or my men.
No more risks. No more weaknesses. If she wanted to leave, an escort.
If she breathed in a way I disliked, I'd lock her in my penthouse and throw away the key.
The thought should feel like a cage, but she would be alive. That mattered now.
The car rolled forward, city lights blurred past tinted windows. I closed my eyes, breathing them in. Mine to protect. Mine to keep. And God help anyone who tried to take them from me again.