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Then the pain in my ankle and cold air. I winced hard
Hands dragged me out of the van, and before I could even breathe, someone ripped the blindfold off my face. Light stabbed my eyes. I blinked fast, tears blurring everything into a smear of gray and shadow.
We were in a parking garage. Dim. Empty.
Like a place where people disappeared. A place where no one could hear me scream. So I didn't.
Two men stood behind me, one with pale blue eyes, tall and cruel, the other was a stocky Black man with calm, unreadable eyes that somehow felt worse.
And in front of me stood him.
He had salt-and-pepper hair, a sharp jaw, and a perfectly tailored grey suit. He was older.
Blue eyes colder than anything I'd ever seen.
He looked like someone who had never had to do any hard work in his life. His energy was calm and cold.
My breath came fast and uneven. My chest hurt.
"Listen," I said, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "I think you made a mistake. I don't know who you are, but you've made a huge mistake. Please... please let me go. I don't have anything. My parents aren't rich. If you're going to hurt me—please don't."
The man smiled. Cold, mocking, like my fear was a show he enjoyed watching.
"Daria," he said softly, "I won't harm you. I would never do that."
My heart stopped cold.
"How do you know my name?"
He tilted his head, almost bored.
"Because, Daria... I know you."
I swallowed, mouth going dry. Air got stuck in my throat. My fingers trembled.
"What?" I whispered.
He stepped closer, almost like he was studying me.
"I'm your father, Daria."
I choked. What?
"W—What?" My voice cracked. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm your biological father."
Shock hit my stomach like ice water. It hurt.
"No. No, my father passed away, I—" I swallowed hard, panic rising so fast I felt dizzy. "You're lying. How did you even—why are you doing this? Why did you kidnap me? Are you going to hurt me?"
"I already told you I'm not hurting you." He stared at me like I was something he disapproved of. "I simply wanted to meet you."
"Meet me?" I whispered. "By kidnapping me?"
He shrugged like this was normal. What's wrong with him?
"You have been involved with some very interesting people. A few weeks ago, someone was digging into me. Personally, I didn't like that. So I looked into who was behind it."
He paused.
"Nico Costa."
I went completely still. My breath stopped.
Nico?
Digging into... him?
His lips curled into something cruel.
"You didn't know that part, did you?" he said. "You've been spending a lot of time with the Mafia King."
"Mafia... what?" I shook my head hard. "Nico isn't a Mafia King. I don't know what you're talking about."
The two men behind me laughed, and so did he.
"Oh, daughter," he said. "I thought you'd be smarter. But maybe you got your mother's brains."
The comment cut like a knife.
I blinked, tears spilling again. My mother. My biological mother. Is she as cruel as him?
He stepped closer.
"Nico Costa is the Mafia King. And since you are my blood... this creates a problem."
"I'm not your anything," I whispered, voice breaking. "Let me go. Forget me. I'll forget this ever happened."
He clicked his tongue.
"It's not that simple."
My pulse hammered painfully. "What do you want from me?"
He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice.
"I want him to return what he stole from me. And you, Daria... you are going to make him give it back."
"I don't know anything about this," I said, shaking.
"Oh, don't worry." He smiled like a monster. "Nico knows enough."
He straightened his suit.
"You are leverage. After that, I can pretend you never existed. I have a daughter. I don't need a... mistake ruining my life."
My whole body trembled. Even my real parents didn't love me. I really have no one.
My heart felt like it was splitting in half.
Mafia King?
My father?
Kidnapped?
Nico involved?
Everything I thought I knew about my life snapped apart.
A sob escaped me.
God, I was so hopeless.
I whispered, my voice trembling uncontrollably. "What the hell is happening?"
I pulled up to a deserted parking structure.
Her dot was inside.
I was already out of the car, gun in hand.
Enzo came skidding beside me, Angelo close behind.
"Where is she?" Enzo asked, already breathing heavy.
"Inside."
I didn't waste time explaining.
I ran.
They followed.
The place echoed with steps, our shadows long across the concrete. We reached the stairs when a sound stopped me dead.
A soft cry.
My heart punched my ribs. My vision tunneled.
That was her.
DARIA.
I started running up the stairs so fast Enzo had to grab my arm and yank me back.
"WAIT," he hissed. "Nico, think. You can't walk in blind."
"I don't give a fuck—"
"IF YOU RUSH IN, THEY KILL HER."
The words cracked through my brain like a whip.
Enzo met my eyes, steady like he was thinking for both of us.
"We do this smart."
I swallowed rage big enough to kill me.
"Fine."
We crept forward.
I didn't see her at first.
"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GIRL?"
The first guy pulled out a gun. Stupid move.
I shot him in the head.
"Please... just let me go..."
Her voice. My heart shredded.
I stepped forward and finally saw it.
Daria tied to a chair. She was crying, shaking, terrified.
My vision went red. These motherfuckers hurt her.
Enzo whispered, "That sick son of a—"
I didn't hear the rest. I walked in. No second thought,
I shot the other goon in the head, his body dropped.
Daria screamed, closing her eyes. Her whole body jerked.
The man in the grey suit shot up from his position but Enzo grabbed him from behind and slammed him onto the ground. Fucking Doyle. That motherfucker will pay for this.
"Hey, asshole," Enzo growled. "Break a rule again. I dare you."
I didn't give the man a single glance.
I only saw her.
Her wrists were tied so tight her skin was raw, cheeks streaked with tears, lip trembling so hard it hurt to watch.
"Daria," I said, my voice breaking in a way I didn't recognize.
Her head snapped toward me.
"Nico," she sobbed. "Nico—oh my god—Nico—"
I dropped to my knees in front of her. Untying her, checking every inch of her.
Her fingers clutched my shirt like she was afraid I wasn't real.
"You came," she cried into my neck.
"I will always come for you," I said, pulling her into my arms.
She shook so badly I almost tore the building apart.
"It's okay," I whispered into her hair. "You're okay now. I've got you, baby. I've got you."
I lifted her into my arms.
She clung to me, sobbing against my chest.
I looked at Enzo, my voice was ice.
"Take him to the alley house. I'll deal with him later."
Enzo nodded.
Angelo grabbed Doyle by the arms.
I didn't look back.
I carried her out of the building like she was the only thing in the world.
I set her in the passenger seat gently. She was still crying, eyes red.
"Nico... what's happening?" she whispered. "I-I'm so scared."
"I know, I'm sorry baby," I said, brushing her cheek. "I'm taking you home."
"Your home?"
"Yes. Where you're safe."
She nodded, crying harder.
I kissed her forehead, then her hair, wiping her cheek with my thumb.
"You're safe now," I murmured. "I promise."
She didn't say much, just nodded.
She fell asleep almost instantly, body shutting down from fear, adrenaline, shock.
I used a wet towel to wipe her face gently as she slept, then laid her on my bed, sitting next to her.
My phone buzzed every two minutes—updates, security reports, instructions—but I didn't fucking move.
I stayed, guarding her like a wild animal.
I couldn't sleep. I just watched her as she slept, thinking about how i could've lost her.
"Nico?"
Her small voice shattered me as she stirred awake.
"Hey, hey. I'm here," I said, sitting beside her. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"
"W-water..."
I grabbed a bottle so fast I nearly crushed it.
She drank shakily, my chest hurt, then looked up at me, her beautiful eyes swollen.
Her voice cracked.
"Nico... is it true? What they said?"
I swallowed.
"What did they say?"
"That you're the Mafia King."
I closed my eyes. It felt like someone sliced my ribs open.
"Yes," I said quietly. "It's true."
Her lip trembled.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I'm a dangerous man, Daria. And I'm sorry you were dragged into my world."
Her breath shook.
"He said he's my father... is that true?"
"Yes."
Her eyes filled again.
"You were looking into my parents?"
I nodded once, guilt crawling.
"Yes. I was. And I didn't know it would put you in danger like this. I'm sorry."
She shook her head.
"No. Before you came, he said he was already looking for me. You didn't cause this, Nico. He used me against you. He just wanted to hurt you... he just couldn't get to you directly."
I clenched my jaw so hard it cracked.
"That motherf—"
She touched my hand gently.
"It's not your fault."
My voice came out rough.
"Daria... listen to me. I will never let you go through something like this again. Ever."
She nodded, tears falling silently.
"Thank you for saving me," she whispered.
"Daria... I'm giving you a choice. If you want to leave all this—leave me—"
She jerked her head up.
"No."
I blinked.
"No?" I repeated.
"You saved my life," she whispered. "You protected me.
I don't care who you are. I don't care about your darkness.
You have always protected me, ever since I've met you Nico, you've put me first. You made sure I was okay.
You cared about the little stupid things I like. .. Nico, I really care about you..."
She moved closer, her small hand pressed to my chest.
"I don't want to lose you."
My vision blurred.
"Daria..." I said, voice breaking.
She leaned in, her lips brushing mine, breath warm, soft, trembling.
"Nico... I want you to take me. Have me. I want to prove to you that I want you, I trust you"
I closed my eyes.
Because I felt like, I lost my fucking mind.