My name is Tara Harper.
Mafia princess.
Thrives in chaos.
Life of the party.
But there's a secret. A secret so ugly, that I hide.
His name is Alec Romano.
Loyal.
Lives in Violence.
Untouchable.
I want him. Will do anything to get him. Problem...
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My phone buzzed in my pocket, the ringtone cutting through the silence like a knife. I pulled over my bike, the urgency in the call's tone making my heart race.
"Dad?" I answered, my voice tense.
"Alec," my father's voice was frantic, a tone I had never heard from him before. "Stella's been kidnapped. I need you to come home immediately."
My blood ran cold. "What? How—"
"Just get home now!" he barked, the line going dead.
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and revved the engine, my mind racing. Stella. My baby sister. Fear and anger churned in my gut as I sped through the streets. Who would dare to touch her?
Halfway home, my phone buzzed again. I pulled over, my hand shaking as I answered. It was Lucian.
"Alec," his voice was urgent, panic lacing his words. "Tara's been kidnapped."
"No," I whispered, the world spinning. "This can't be happening."
"It is," Lucian snapped. "And we need to find her. Now."
I gritted my teeth, the helplessness turning into a fierce resolve. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Keep me updated."
Hanging up, I sped home, my thoughts a whirlwind of rage and desperation. Whoever did this was going to pay. They had taken everything from me in a matter of minutes.
When I arrived home, the scene inside tore at my heart. My mother was inconsolable, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries echoing through the house. My father stood beside her, his face a mask of cold, hard fury. His eyes, usually so composed, were dark with anger and grief.
"Dad," I called out, stepping inside.
My father's cold, hard eyes met mine as I approached him. He didn't say a word, just handed me his phone. I took it, my heart pounding in my chest.
The image on the screen made my blood run cold. Tara and Stella were tied to chairs, unconscious. Their faces were bruised, their bodies limp. My vision blurred with rage and helplessness.
"This just came in," my father said, his voice a dangerous calm. "The kidnapper is taunting us."
I stared at the photo, my mind racing. Who could do this? Who would dare? I felt my anger rising, a boiling fury that threatened to consume me.
"We need to find them, Dad," I said, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. "We need to find them now."
My father nodded, his jaw set in a hard line. "We're working on it. But we need to stay focused. We can't let emotions cloud our judgment."
I clenched my fists, struggling to contain the storm inside me. "How can you be so calm? Stella is your daughter. Tara... Tara means everything to me."
He placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. "I am calm because I have to be. Because if I lose control, we lose any chance of finding them. And I won't let that happen."
