Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 47 - Inferno

Luca's pov

The moment the call came in, it felt as if time itself had stopped. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless drumbeat of fear and fury. Maddie—my Maddie—had been attacked. The words barely registered as my mind spiraled into a maelstrom of panic and rage. Wasting no time, I ordered my private jet to be prepped for an emergency flight to London. The usually calm, composed me had vanished, replaced by a desperate, frantic man, and that realization scared me more than anything.

As the jet roars into the sky, I find it impossible to sit still. My thoughts are a chaotic whirl of images—Maddie hurt, scared, alone. I clench my fists, my knuckles white, as I fight to contain the volcanic emotions within me. Dante and Vinny exchange worried glances. Even Luciano and Federico, usually stoic, look troubled. They've never seen me like this. Hell, I've never seen me like this.

"Luca, you need to calm down," Dante says, his voice steady but edged with concern. "We're going to get to her as soon as possible."

I nod, but his words are little comfort. "She was attacked, Dante. In her own home. This is my doing."

Vinny, usually the joker, meets my gaze with an uncharacteristically serious look. "We'll find the bastard who did this. He'll pay."

I know they mean well, but nothing can ease my mind until I have Maddie in my arms, safe and sound. I pull out my phone, rereading her last message over and over again, as if it could somehow bring me closer to her.

Time: 6:16 PM

Mr. Castellano, I didn't know I made such an impression on you. Glad I could provide. You can't like me that much that you let yourself get distracted. Ps, loving the new sign-off, x M.

That message feels like a lifetime ago. I can almost hear her giggle as she writes it, see her cheeks flush that adorable shade of pink. But now, all I can think about is getting to her, making sure she is okay.

"Boss," Luciano speaks up, breaking my reverie, "we captured the bastard. He got in through a small window in the bathroom."

My jaw tightens as I nod slowly. "Take him to one of our warehouses. I will deal with him personally later." The thought of the suffering I will inflict on that motherfucker brings a grim satisfaction.

"Do we know who directed the attack?" Dante asks Luciano, who shakes his head.

"Put more men on it," I command Dante. "I want to know every single detail."

The flight seems interminable, each minute stretching into an eternity. Finally, the jet begins its descent into London. As soon as we land, I practically leap from my seat, my body thrumming with urgency. Dante and Vinny follow closely, their presence a steadying force amidst my turmoil.

It's pinch black outside. Not strange considering it's 1:30 in the morning. A car awaits us on the tarmac. Federico holds the door open for me, and I jump into the backseat. Although Emily has called an ambulance, I order my men to take Maddie to my private doctor. In every city where we do business, we also have private doctors on stand-by. I don't trust any public amateurs with her care. We speed through the London traffic, the city lights a blur outside the window. My phone buzzes constantly with updates from the men guarding Maddie and about potential leads.

We arrive at the private clinic, and I don't wait for the car to stop fully before jumping out. The entire premises is swarming with my men; not an inch is unsecured. The woman behind the counter looks up as I storm in, her expression shifting to one of apprehension as I approach.

"Where is she?" I demand, my voice icy and commanding.

"Sir, I cannot give you that information. We have a family-only policy," she stammers, her eyes widening in fear. She must be new here; the staff knows better than to speak against me. "And all those security guys need to go as—"