Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 65 - The heart's confession

Luca's pov

The night air is thick with tension as I sit in the back of the car, my mind racing. The city outside is a blur of lights and shadows, and I barely register any of it. All I can think about is Maddie and the fact that she's out there, somewhere, without me by her side to protect her.

"Where the hell is she?" I mutter, more to myself than to anyone else. Dante, sitting beside me, busy on his phone, glances up to me, his expression one of shared concern.

"We'll find her, Luca," he says, trying to offer some reassurance. I nod, but the words do little to ease the knot in my stomach. "Have you tried calling her?." he ask, and I give him a dumbfounded glare. 

"Of course, I did, idiot," 

My phone buzzes incessantly with updates from my men, each one a reminder of how vast this city is and how many places she could be. I've got men in every neighborhood, hitting up every contact we have, following every lead, no matter how tenuous. Maddie has to be somewhere, and I'll tear this city apart brick by brick if I have to, to find her.

I close my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady myself. I can't afford to lose my focus, not now. Not when she's out there alone. The image of her face flashes in my mind—those bright eyes, her smile—and I feel a pang of longing mixed with anger. Anger at myself for letting her out of my sight, anger at the world for being so damn dangerous.

"Dante," I say to him, "Any news?"

"Not yet," he replies, I growl loudly, slowly losing hope to find her since she has been away for a couple of hours now. "Luciano, Keep driving. I want us visible. If she's out here, I want her to see us."

We speed through the streets, the city a sprawling labyrinth of possibilities and dead ends. My mind wanders back to the conversation we had at my office. This is not how I wanted her to find out. Not that I had an alternative plan, but I just kinda hoped that it would never been brought to her attention. That reminds me, I will pay Officer Clark a visit, when everything has settled down, and if one hair on her head is misplaced, I will hold him accountable, but right now, there is not time for that now, I need to focus on getting her back.

My phone rings, and I snatch it up, seeing Enzo's name flashing on the screen. My heart skips a beat, hope and dread mingling in my chest.

"Enzo," I answer, my voice sharp and demanding. "What have you got?"

"Luca," he says, his tone brisk and businesslike. "I've got a lead. Alfredo Bianchi just called. He says Maddie is with him."

For a moment, the world stops. The relief that she's been found is overshadowed by the fact that she's with fucking Alfredo. Bianchi. One of the five families. We are no enemies, but not friends, either. In this life, nobody is really your friend. The relationship is tense, especially since the meeting we had with the other families last Saturday. My mind races as I try to figure out why she'd end up with him of all people.

"What's she doing there?" I ask, my voice a mix of disbelief and irritation.

"Apparently, she's been asking around for you," Enzo replies. "She mentioned your name, and Alfredo decided to contact us."

I let out a slow breath, my mind working through the implications. Maddie is safe for now, but this is a situation that needs handling with care. Alfredo is no fool, and he'll know this puts him in a position of power, however slight.

"Where?." 

"Ristorante Bella Notte," Alfredo's regular bar. 

"Alright," I say, a plan already forming in my mind. "We're heading there now. Keep me updated."