28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Emilio
S erena has plans to pick up the girls and go shopping for baby items, then go out to lunch. It makes me nervous as fuck that she wants to leave the house, knowing that the creep is still out there somewhere. I haven’t slept in days, I hate not knowing who it is, or what their endgame is. My wife seems to think they have just given up after sending terrifying packages and notes. I'm skeptical, so I'm keeping my guard up.
For Serena's safety, I instruct Antonio to be especially careful with her today and I’ve increased security at the gate. My wife and our child's safety is my top priority. My schedule means I can’t protect Serena myself today; I have back-to-back meetings. Usually Antonio assists me, but today I’m on my own.
Sure, I have other men I can call on, but the one I trust the most is Antonio. He's been with me since the beginning. It's why he's the only one I allow to take Serena out of the house.
For some reason, I feel even more anxious and uneasy than normal. Most likely it's because my wife demanded to leave the safety of our home, and my nerves are just on end.
Once my meetings are concluded, I visit the docks to oversee a new shipment of weapons. There are crates missing from the orders. While I'm dealing with the missing crates, my phone rings, and I see on the screen it’s my enforcer, Rocco.
"Rocco?"
"Boss, the warehouse on Fifth Street is blazin’."
Rubbing my throbbing temples, I sigh. This day isn't getting any better. "I'll meet you there."
Upon arrival, the fire chief tells me it’s arson, and that anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach amplifies tenfold.
I’m so distracted, I don’t get a minute to call and check on Serena. When I return home to an empty house, I realize the girls must still be out shopping. Taking my phone from my pocket, I dial Serena's number, just needing to hear her voice. It rings several times but no answer. I'm going to paddle her ass for not answering her phone. We've talked about this before, and she promised she would start answering.
After waiting a few minutes and trying Serena again with no answer, I dial Antonio. It rings and rings and again I don't get an answer, which makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He better not be fucking around while my wife is out of the safety of our home and vulnerable. Leaving a voicemail for him to call me back, I hang up the phone and pull up the tracker on Serena's choker.
What the hell? The tracker shows my wife is almost two hours away. As thoughts race through my mind, I try to figure out why she'd be that far away from home. When I asked, she said she'd be here in the city, shopping with her mother and brother's wives. She assured me she wasn’t going far, and as far as I know, there aren't any large malls or upscale shopping centers out where she is.
It's trees and hills for miles. I know she lived out in the country before she moved back home, but she hasn't mentioned wanting to go back or even visit. She would have told me this morning if she planned to go all the way back out there.
Thank God she’s wearing her choker and I was wise enough to embed a tracker in it. Sure, it’s a symbol of ownership and a way to heighten sexual pleasure, but right now, it’s also her lifeline. I knew that if she tried to run or someone tried to take her from me, the first thing they would do is dispose of her cell phone; however, the collar can't be taken off without the key. And the only person in the world who has a key is me. The only other option is cutting it off.
Another call to Antonio goes straight to voicemail. Since he's worked for me, I've never not gotten an answer when I’ve called. For him to be missing, along with my wife, is suspicious as fuck. What the hell is going on?
Knowing there is something wrong, I dial Gio's number next. He answers immediately.
"Emilio?"
"Gio, Serena is supposed to be shopping with your wife. Have you heard from either of them?"
"Serena never showed up. She sent Everly a text saying she didn't feel like going today. She said the pregnancy had worn her out, and she wanted to stay in and rest."
His words make my blood run cold. "Gio, Serena isn't at home, and something is wrong."
"I'm on the way. We are bringing as many men as you need."
He hangs up, and I consider what could be happening. Did my wife decide to leave me? Surely not. We’re in love. We’ve been getting closer with each passing day, and we are both excited to meet our new baby. No, I can’t believe Serena would leave me of her own freewill.
That leaves a couple of possibilities, and I don’t like the ones that come to mind. Antonio better be dead, because if he's not, I'm going to kill him myself.