Hidden Flames [The Ludovicas: Second Generation Book Three]

Twenty-Six | Rescued

I need sixty comments on this, believe me, you will like this chapter.
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KIAN

Dad moved away when I flipped my desk over causing everything to crash to the floor.

"This is not going to help, Kian", he said carefully.

With every minute of not knowing where she was, I lost my mind little by little.

I kicked my chair in rage making it fall down too.

"Kian, calm the fuck down", Dad spoke sharply.

I breathed heavily as I stared at him desperately. "I want her back. Dad, please. Do something."

He walked over to me, his eyes softening as he grabbed my shoulders. "We will find her, okay? Losing your temper won't help you. Arnaud has sent out a search party and Armano and Mea are out there looking for her too. Have some hope."

"She has been hurt so many times and I couldn't protect her and now again. I promised to protect her. I fucking failed."

"No, you didn't. You will find her."

"Who knows where the fuck she is and what all is happening to her."

If anything similar happens to her...she will break this time and I don't want that. I want her safe and happy and by my side.

Dad looked worried and this time he didn't assure me because he knew she could be hurt and it might be too late before we reach her.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

A lump formed in my throat, eyes burning. I fucking missed her. Her hugs, her smiles, her every fucking word. I needed her like air. Just a few hours without her were torturous.

Dad squeezed my shoulder and I did the first thing that came to my mind. I hugged him.

Dad froze, it was after all the first time I ever hugged him on my own. It took him a moment to relax and when he did, he hugged me back.

He rubbed my back. "We will get her back. Soon. I know it."

Somehow, I believed him.

.
.
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"You need to sleep for at least a few hours. You have been up all night." Armano scolded me.

I was on my second mug of coffee as we tried to torture the answers out of the few men of our rivals.

"Not until I find her."

Armano sighed, knowing I wouldn't listen to him.

The few of the men we caught belonged to the Castros. They were new in the city, a rising rival gang and they had recently attacked one of our territories, trying to capture it.

The night of the pizza competition, I had to leave to handle that situation and it took us hours.

My best bet was on them.

It had been twenty fucking hours since Irene went missing, twenty hours of no sleep and intense rage and restlessness.

My wife was somewhere out there...who knew in what condition she was? Hurt, thirsty, hungry?

A message popped up on my phone and I was about to ignore it but then I decided to check it once.

Unknown Number: Half of your empire in exchange for your wife. How's that for a deal?

I was ready to give up my whole empire for her. I would do anything to get her back.

Armano looked into my phone over my shoulder, whistling lowly, "Someone has a death wish. It's the Castros. Your suspicion was right."