Blade

Chapter 56: A life for a life

Blade

"Relax, Blade. I know you don't trust us, especially me, but please just give us this one chance, okay?" Sienna says with a playful pout, fluttering her lashes in that way she knows gets to me.

"We promise to be back before the hour is up. Everything will be fine. We're not kids anymore but grown women," Camilla adds with a grin, resting a hand on my shoulder. "We know how to handle creeps and weirdos, but if it helps you relax, we won't talk to any strangers, especially men."

I exhale in defeat and press a kiss to each of their foreheads. "I guess it won’t hurt to let you two go shopping. An hour, that’s all you get. If you’re not back by then, I’m coming to find you myself."

"Stop being overdramatic." Sienna rolls her eyes and presses a quick kiss to my cheek. Before I can pull her into a proper kiss, Cam tugs her arm toward the door. She glances back at me over her shoulder and gives a playful wink. I ignore it and focus on the two bodyguards by the door. I tilt my head in their direction, signaling them to follow as the door clicks shut behind them.

"Your relationship with Sienna seems to be moving along nicely," Franco says with a smirk as I pivot on my heels and stride toward my office.

"No offense, Blade, but you're a finished man," Nico adds, flopping onto the couch with a teasing grin. "That woman has you wrapped around her finger, and neither of you even realize it. I bet if she asked for the moon and the stars, you wouldn’t hesitate to get them for her, no matter how impossible it seems." I shoot him a sharp glare, but he just chuckles, clearly enjoying every second of it.

"It's almost like you’re developing feelings for her, and it won’t be long before the love train hits you full force." Franco wiggles his eyebrows at me and twirls the ring around his finger with a teasing grin.

I rub my temples and let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh God! What did I do to deserve this? Why do you hate me so much?"

They both burst into loud, boisterous laughter at my words. The urge to kick them hard is growing with every second they continue their shameless teasing as if I weren’t even in the room.

"Okay. That’s enough." I cut them off with a frown, and finally, their laughter and jabs fade.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out reluctantly.

I mutter a few curse words under my breath before answering the call.

"What?" I snap, flipping open the file on my desk that I’ve been ignoring far too long, letting the papers spill slightly as if protesting my neglect.

"Boss, we found Matteo," Roman says, his voice carrying over the faint thud of footsteps and deep grunts in the background. His words sink in slowly, making my chest tighten.

I can’t freaking believe this.

"Where did you find him?" I demand, pressing the phone closer to my ear as if proximity could confirm reality.

"It wasn’t really an easy task, boss. Things didn’t quite—"

"Answer the damn question, dumbass," I snap, slamming my fist on the table, rattling pens and papers.

Roman swallows, his voice dropping lower. "We found him in a club. The guy was wasted and getting his ass kicked by a couple of gangsters." He mutters something incoherent to someone in the background, but my focus doesn’t waver.

"Take him to the dungeon. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes," I grunt, cutting the call before he can say a word.

"What's going on?" Franco asks as I rise to my feet and head for the door.