SARAHThe sound of the key twisting in the lock sent a fresh wave of panic surging through me. My heart was pounding so hard, it was deafening. Who was it? Was someone here to rescue me, or had the person who kidnapped me come back to finish the job? My thoughts spiraled, and I felt frozen, locked in place, eyes glued to the door as it creaked open. I squinted into the dim light, trying to make out the figure standing there. For a moment, it was just a blur, the flickering light from the lone bulb above casting eerie shadows on the walls. But as the person stepped forward, the light hit his face, and my heart leapt.“Carlos?” I gasped, a mix of relief and confusion in my voice. It was him—Marco’s right-hand man. Relief washed over me. “Carlos, thank God! I was kidnapped, I don’t know how I got here, but you have to help me!” My words came out in a rush, stumbling over each other. I tugged at the ropes around my wrists, desperate to be free. He didn’t move. He just stood there, stari
MARCOI spent the last day glued to the hotel’s CCTV footage, running it over and over again, trying to find a trace—*anything*—that could lead me to Sarah. But whoever had taken her was smart, almost too smart. The camera caught a dark figure once, a shadow slipping into a car outside the lobby. I couldn’t make out a face, nothing identifiable. It was like the guy knew the place inside out, maneuvering between blind spots like he had a blueprint in his head. Every corner, every hallway he avoided, it was like he was a ghost.I slammed my hand down on the table, frustration bubbling up inside me. My mind was racing, going through every possible lead, but all I kept coming back to was that damn blurry footage."What the hell am I missing?" I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth in the small hotel room. The silence felt suffocating. I couldn’t just sit here. Every second I waited felt like time slipping away from Sarah.And then, my phone rang. I grabbed it off the table without ev
MARCOI paced back and forth, the text still open on my phone. My eyes scanned the same words over and over, my brain trying to process them while my body vibrated with fury and desperation.“We have your darling Sarah. Once we’re done with her, we’ll be ready to negotiate. We’re going to have a lot of fun with her before then.”The idea of someone touching her—hurting her—made my blood run cold, and then it boiled over into rage. I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t just stand here, doing nothing. Every second wasted felt like another second Sarah was closer to being lost. And it was my fault. I should have protected her. I should have seen this coming.The phone was in my hand before I realized it, and I dialed Petrov’s number, my fingers moving with a mind of their own. The moment I heard his voice on the other end of the line, I didn’t waste time with pleasantries.“Petrov,” I growled, my voice harsh and urgent. “I got a text.”There was a brief pause on the other end. “What kin
MARCOI sat behind the wheel, staring at the dashboard, my fingers gripping the leather so hard my knuckles turned white. The weight of the gun pressed against my side, cold and solid, a reminder of what I was about to do. I never thought it would come to this. Not here, not on what was supposed to be a vacation. But I had no choice.I punched in the location Petrov sent me into the GPS, watching as the route appeared on the screen. The distance didn’t matter. I would drive across the entire island, hell, across the entire world, if it meant finding Sarah. My wife—taken, held by some faceless bastards, probably hurt. That thought alone was enough to make my blood boil.As I pulled out onto the road, my phone buzzed again. Another message from Petrov. More names. More places. The list was getting longer by the minute. He was working fast, combing through every bit of information he could find. I couldn’t complain, but every ping of the phone reminded me how little time we had. Sarah wa
MARCOI narrowed my eyes, my hand still hovering near the grip of my gun. Rico looked pale, his eyes darting around like a trapped animal. I wasn’t sure if I could trust a single word out of his mouth, but I needed to press him again, just to be certain.“Are you absolutely sure it’s Carlos?” I asked, my voice cold and hard. “Because if you’re lying, Rico, I swear you won’t be walking out of here. You’ll be dead before you hit the floor.”Rico swallowed hard, his hands trembling. “I’m not lying, I swear to God, Marco! It’s Carlos! Everyone around here knows not to mess with him and the old guy. Please, I don’t want any trouble, I’m just telling you what I heard!”I stared at him, my mind racing. Carlos? Could it really be him? The thought gnawed at me, twisting everything I thought I knew. I didn’t want to believe it. Rico could be scared, desperate to throw anyone under the bus. But if he was telling the truth… If Carlos was really involved…I couldn’t stand there any longer. “Get ou
I arrived at the bar earlier than planned. It was tucked away on a quiet street near the marina, the kind of place where tourists barely trickled in, and locals came to drink away the island heat. The sun was starting to set, casting a burnt-orange glow over the water, but I wasn’t here for the view.I parked the car and leaned back in my seat, staring at the entrance. The bar was calm, almost empty, just a few patrons scattered at the tables outside, sipping drinks, enjoying the breeze. It was the perfect place for a conversation—one that could go south fast.*Carlos.* I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. I didn’t want to. The man had been like family to me. We’d built our operation from the ground up, weathered storms that would’ve crushed lesser men. And now? Now, he was somehow tied to Sarah’s kidnapping. I wanted to be wrong. I wanted this to be some huge misunderstanding. But every sign pointed to him, and I wasn’t about to ignore it.I pulled my gun from the glove compartm
MARCOI took off after Carlos, barely pausing to check my surroundings as I followed him out of the bar and down the dimly lit street. The cold moon cast long shadows on the pavement, but all I could see was Carlos, his figure cutting through the crowds as he darted ahead, weaving past tourists and locals who threw confused glances in his direction. He was moving fast, but I was faster, each step pounding into the ground as I zeroed in on him.“Carlos!” I shouted, my voice raw with anger and adrenaline. “You’re only making this worse! Stop!”He didn’t even look back. Instead, he picked up speed, his legs pumping harder, as though the very sound of my voice put fuel in his veins. I gritted my teeth, pushing myself harder. The chase stretched on, the distance between us shortening then lengthening, like some sick, twisted game of cat and mouse. He dodged around a family stepping out of a store, nearly colliding with a little girl, and I saw him throw a quick apology over his shoulder be
MARCOI tightened my grip, my patience wearing thin. Carlos was bleeding, slouched against the alley wall, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. But despite the pain, he looked up at me with a twisted smile, almost like he was enjoying this.“Carlos, start talking,” I said, my voice low, barely controlled. “I’m done playing games. I’m losing patience here.”He laughed, coughing as pain flashed across his face. “Oh, Marco… you have no idea, do you?” His voice was weak but taunting. “You really think you’re gonna get anything out of me?”I shoved him harder against the wall, the back of his head hitting the brick with a dull thud. “Don’t test me, Carlos. Where’s Sarah?”He closed his eyes, laughing again, his smile curling even wider as he cracked open one eye. “You’ll never find her in time. She’s gone, Marco.”I felt my fists clench, my whole body tightening with anger. “What did you do, Carlos?” I demanded. “Who’s helping you?”He coughed, wincing as he shifted his leg, pain clea
MARCOIt’d been a whole damn day since Tony came back with that lead.Since Mickey Two-Times pointed us toward the warehouse in the Bronx, my world had shrunk to this office. Four walls, a ticking clock, and my phone screen lighting up every couple minutes with nothing but the time. No calls. No texts. Just silence.I hadn’t eaten. Couldn’t. My stomach turned every time I tried. I’d take a bite, chew it twice, and spit it out like ash. The only thing that kept moving was me—back and forth across the room, pacing like some caged dog. Phone always in my hand, like it had answers. Like I could will it to ring.Every second felt like it was dragging a chain behind it. I kept checking my watch, hoping an hour passed when it’d only been five minutes. My nerves were shot. My fists kept clenching up without me realizing. I’d sit on the edge of the desk, then stand again right after. I couldn’t stop seeing her. Sarah. Tied to a chair. Locked in some dark room. Bruised. Alone. And him. Marcel.
MARCOI stood in front of the mirror, elbows on the sink, just staring at myself. Same face, same eyes, but none of it looked familiar anymore. I was pale. Eyes darker. I hadn’t slept. I hadn’t eaten anything that stayed down. My beard was growing in patchy. My shirt was wrinkled. Tie loose. I looked like I’d been hit by a truck and dragged for miles. Maybe I had. Just not the kind that leaves tire marks.She was still gone.I gripped the edge of the sink tighter. My knuckles went white. I stared at my reflection and saw everything I’d lost.Sarah.She was out there. Somewhere. I didn’t know where. I didn’t know if she was safe or suffering. I didn’t know if she was being fed or locked in some cage. I didn’t know if she was being hit, or worse. My stomach turned at that. My heart beat faster every time my mind went there.I hated not knowing.I kept waiting for something. A message. A call. A note. Some kind of signal that Marcel wanted to talk. That he wanted to bargain. But there wa
SARAHMy whole body ached. My back felt like it had been beaten with bricks. My legs were sore, heavy, like they didn’t belong to me anymore. My stomach hurt too, and that scared me the most. I couldn’t tell if it was from hunger or something worse. I hadn’t eaten properly in days. Maybe longer. Time didn’t exist in here. No clocks. No light. Just this thick air that never changed. Always cold. Always still.I laid on the hard floor staring at the ceiling. Nothing up there, just cracks and stains. Still, I kept looking, like it might tell me something. Give me a sign. I didn’t even cry anymore. I couldn’t. My face felt dry, like I’d cried out everything I had.I rubbed my hand over my stomach.Was the baby okay?I tried to feel something. A kick, a twitch, anything. But it was quiet. Still. I didn’t know if that was normal. I didn’t know anything anymore. And that scared me more than anything else.Marco… where are you?The thought crept in without warning. I tried to push it away. I’
MARCELShe slammed the door so hard the windows shook. I didn’t even flinch. Just sat there, glass in my hand, eyes steady on the dark wood of my desk. She was pale, her eyes swollen from crying. Her hair was a mess. Makeup streaked. She looked like someone had ripped her open and poured salt in the wound.“Damien is dead!” she screamed.Her voice cracked halfway through it. Like her lungs couldn’t even hold the weight of the words. She wasn’t just saying it. She was falling apart as it left her mouth.I didn’t say anything right away. Didn’t need to. I took a slow sip of my drink and leaned back.She stared at me like I was supposed to get up and scream. Like I should punch a wall or flip the desk. She was waiting for me to be human about it.I wasn’t.“It was bound to happen,” I said, calm. Cold.Her face twisted. “That’s all you have to say?”“This is war, Isabella,” I said. “Casualties were always on the table. I’m not Superman. I couldn’t save him.”“You son of a bitch.”She walk
TONYLate at night, rain tapping on the windshield, I sat in the car with Petrov outside a grimy little club in Queens. The kind of place where everyone inside’s either running from something or selling to someone who is. I didn’t say a word. Just lit a cigarette, let the smoke hang around while I kept my eyes on the front door. We’d been sitting there a while. Hours, maybe. Days started blending. The city never stopped moving, but I felt like I had. Like I was frozen in this damn seat while the world spun sideways.Petrov sat next to me, hunched a little, scrolling through his phone. He wasn’t talking either. Not like we had much left to say. We were past tired. Past pissed. Past anything normal. What we were now was something else entirely. Just two guys running on fumes and hate.The glow from the streetlamp above us flickered like it was about to die. Kind of fitting. Everything felt like it was on its last legs. The car smelled like smoke, coffee, and sweat. A lot of hours, a lo
MARCOThe office was a wreck. Empty bottles everywhere. Ashtrays full. Blinds shut so tight, barely a sliver of light came through. I hadn’t left the room in days. Didn’t need to. Didn’t want to. The air was thick, stale, like everything inside here had died and no one bothered to bury it.I sat slouched in my chair, suit wrinkled, shirt halfway unbuttoned, tie somewhere on the floor. My gun sat on the desk. Right next to the photo of me and Sarah. She was smiling in it. Big, bright smile. I couldn’t even look straight at it without my stomach turning.I pressed play on the voicemail again.Her laugh filled the room.I leaned back, eyes closed, letting it wash over me.Her laugh.God, that laugh.She’d left that message on a random Tuesday. Just her laughing about something dumb I’d said, telling me to bring home milk or something. I couldn’t even remember the rest. Didn’t matter. It was her voice. Her warmth. That softness she had when she was happy and safe.I pressed play again.An
SARAHThe door creaked open slowly.I squinted as little light spilled in from the hallway, making my already pounding head throb harder. The room had been nothing but darkness, filth, and whispered threats. Now, the light cut through it like a blade, sharp and blinding. My eyes struggled to adjust, but I didn’t need to see to know something had shifted.The guards straightened immediately, their lazy arrogance vanishing. Their boots scraped against the floor as they stepped back, backs stiff, shoulders squared.Someone important had arrived.Then I heard it. Heels clicking against the grimy floor. A slow, confident rhythm. Each step deliberate, unhurried. Whoever it was, they weren’t afraid of this place, of the stench, of the filth.I forced my eyes open, blinking hard as my vision cleared. And then I saw her.Isabella.She stood there, perfectly put together, draped in luxury that didn’t belong in this pit. A silk dress that clung to her figure, nails painted a deep red, makeup fla
SARAHI woke up groggy, my head pounding like someone had taken a hammer to it, over and over again. My skull throbbed with each slow beat of my heart, a dull, crushing pain that made it hard to think. Everything was heavy. My eyelids, my limbs, even my breath felt like it took too much effort.The air pressed down on me, thick and suffocating. It smelled awful—sweat, dampness, something rotten. The kind of stink that clung to a place, to the walls, to the people trapped inside. It crawled into my lungs, making my stomach churn.I tried to move, but a sharp ache shot up my arms. My wrists pulsed with pain. Tied? No. Just stiff, numb from how I had been lying. My fingers tingled as I flexed them. The cold floor bit into my skin, rough and unwelcoming.My thoughts were sluggish, crawling through a thick fog. I blinked hard, trying to push past it, to make sense of anything. My head was too clouded, my body too weak. It felt like waking up from a deep, drugged sleep, the kind where reali
MARCOThe phone nearly cracked in my grip as I rushed into the SUV. My hands were steady, but my heart was beating like a war drum. I jammed the key into the ignition, twisting hard, and the engine roared to life. I didn’t waste a second. I slammed my foot on the gas, tires screeching against the pavement as I tore out of the parking lot.The streets blurred past me. Headlights flashed. Horns blared. I didn’t care. I pushed the speed, weaving through cars like they were standing still. The city was a mess of moving lights, but I only had one thought in my head.Sarah.She had to be safe.I prayed, gripping the wheel tighter. I never prayed, but right now, I did. Let me get there in time. Let her be alive.My knuckles were white on the wheel as I cut through traffic, dodging between cars, taking turns so sharp the tires nearly lifted off the pavement. A semi braked hard ahead of me. I spun the wheel, the SUV sliding through a gap so small I felt the side mirror graze metal. The moment