Chapter Fourteen #2
"Belle's been taken," he said, confirming my worst fear.
The room fell silent. Eight executives in bespoke suits stared at Marcus, then at me, bewilderment clear on their faces. I didn't offer them an explanation. They didn't deserve one. I rose from my chair, a strange calm descending over me like a shroud of ice.
"We'll continue this another time," I said, my voice perfectly controlled despite the murderous rage already building beneath my skin.
"But, Mr. Luca, the merger papers—" Chambers began.
I silenced him with a single look. The blood drained from his face as he recognized something in my eyes that rarely surfaced in these boardrooms, the part of me that had built our family's empire in blood.
Marcus held the door as I strode out, already pulling my phone from my pocket. "Tell me," I demanded, keeping pace with him as we moved toward the security hub.
"Two men in the lobby. They made her breathe something to knock her out. Took her through the service corridor to the loading dock. Black SUV, tinted windows."
"Rossi?"
"Oh, yeah. We have positive ID on Anthony Rossi's men. Malcom Jenks and Terrance Cole." His voice tightened. "I take full responsibility. I should have—"
"Later," I cut him off, punching Vittorio's number. My brother answered on the first ring. "Belle's been taken."
“Yes. Already on it. My men caught it the same time Marcus did.” I should have known my brother would be on top of the situation. It was his superpower. “Come to the security hub. We’ll work this from here.”
The security hub occupied the entire basement level of High Tower, a space unknown to most who worked in the building.
It served as our war room, equipped with a network of computers capable of hacking into more than just the city wide camera feeds, and the brain power to make the most of every resource.
As Marcus and I entered, the space already hummed with energy.
Matteo looked up from a table where he was checking an impressive array of firearms. "Ten minutes," he said, no greeting necessary. "Gabriel's bringing up the tactical gear."
I nodded, moving directly to the wall of monitors where Vittorio stood, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied the security footage. He stepped aside as I approached, allowing me an unobstructed view.
The footage played in crystal clarity. Belle at the coffee shop.
The two men watching her. The interception in the lobby.
The spilled coffee. Her futile struggle as they forced her toward the service exit.
My hands clenched into fists as I watched them press a cloth to her face, her body going limp, then being carried to the waiting vehicle.
"Play it again," I said, my voice barely recognizable as my own.
Vittorio complied without comment. I memorized every detail. We talked out everything we saw. The exact make and model of the SUV. The time stamps. The lack of intervention from any of the dozens of people in the lobby.
"What do we have on their destination?"
Dom, Vittorio’s second and best friend, entered the room, phone pressed to his ear. "They’re headed to the Rossi estate on the other end of the province," he announced, ending his call. "They’ve got all hands on deck for this. Must have been preparing for a while."
“Since that first fucking time Vincent Rossi cornered her at The Gray.” Rage burned inside me hot and deadly. “When I get to that son of a bitch, I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Marcus tossed me a Kevlar vest. I was supposed to wear one at all times, but I hated the thing and usually “forgot” to put the thing on. I shrugged out of my suit jacket, loosened my tie, and unbuttoned my shirt. I strapped the vest around my torso over my undershirt before redressing again.
“Is the car ready?” I adjusted my cuff links, trying to use the movement to steady my mind. Because, for the first time I could remember since I was a boy, my anger warred with fear.
“In the garage, ready to go.” Dom finished redressing after strapping on his own vest and checked his side arm. “Ready when you are, boss.”
I took a breath. “Felix, contact Rossi and set up a meet.” Vittorio and Dom exchanged a look and I pounded my fist against the table. “I’m not fucking negotiating with him!” I snapped. “I’m getting myself in the same room as that cocksucker and I’m going to kill him with my bare hands.”
“While I admire the viciousness of your plan,” Vittorio said, laying a restraining hand on my shoulder, “Matteo has this. His men will set up and be ready when you set up the meet.”
Much as I hated to admit it, I knew Vittorio had a clear head where I was anything but rational at the moment.
I absolutely would burn the world down to get Belle back and make no apologies for it.
But that wasn’t always what was best for the family.
Ultimately, my brothers would sacrifice everything for me, and that meant they’d sacrifice for Belle.
We’d all like to let cooler heads take the lead, though, and save the nuclear options until every other option had been exhausted.
I took another steadying breath. “Fuck,” I swore under my breath. I’d actually broken out in a sweat. My gaze met Vittorio’s and I knew my expression conveyed the helplessness I felt. “V…”
“I’ll take care of everything, Dario,” Vittorio said softly. “You will do what I tell you too, yes?”
“You swear to me you’ll protect her at all costs, V. Swear it.”
“On my life, brother.” To my shock, Vittorio didn’t fight me.
While I knew my brothers would always have my back, I knew they weren’t all sold on Belle yet.
Though, Gabriel had pronounced her the most honestly guileless, selfless individual he’d ever met, the others quietly watched us and reserved judgement.
“I see what she means to you. Whether I trust her motives or not doesn’t matter.
She’s your woman. That’s enough for me.”
"He'll want to be present when I arrive. This is personal for him." My gaze didn’t waver from Vittorio’s. “Rossi wants me to know that, finally, he’s found someone close to me he can hurt.”
"It's a trap," Vittorio said bluntly. “We all know it.”
"I agree.”
Me and V stared at each other for long moments. Then Vittorio gave me a slow nod. “OK. Rossi will call. When he does, we’ll set up a meet. Once we get there, Matteo will take it from there.”
“I take it he’s headed to the Rossi estate where we think they are taking Bella?”
“He is,” Fritz answered from across the room. “One of his team has a visual on Miss Belle. Matteo confirmed. They’re setting up as we speak. Matteo said he thinks he will have us visual and audio before Rossi is ready to contact you.”
I should have known my brothers would have my back. "We find her. Tonight," I said, my voice deadly calm as I finally found my center. Fitting it would be with my brothers. "And then they pay."