THE PAWN AND THE KING

14

Raeland's POV

I slammed my fist against the polished mahogany table, the shock of it traveling up my arm and settling in my chest like an explosion waiting to go off. The sharp crack of wood meeting bone echoed through the room, reverberating off the walls, making every man within earshot flinch. The air thickened with tension, my men huddled together, avoiding my gaze like children afraid of punishment. "You're all useless!" I roared, my voice booming, slicing through the thick silence like a blade. The taste of frustration and panic sat bitter on my tongue. "I told you to find her! How hard can it be to track down one woman?"

My heart hammered against my ribcage, the adrenaline coursing through my veins making my hands shake with barely contained fury. But beneath the anger, there was something worse—fear. It gnawed at the pit of my stomach, twisting and turning, the kind of fear that sank its claws into you and didn't let go.

Valenti.

The image of her, storming out of the office after our argument, flashed through my mind. The look on her face—hurt, betrayed—hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a second, it was hard to breathe. I had let her walk away. I should've stopped her, should've made her stay. And now, she was gone. Hours had passed, and still, nothing. No calls, no messages. Just the silence that weighed heavy on my chest.

"Find her!" I slammed my fist on the table again, harder this time. The pain shot up my arm, but I barely felt it, too lost in the whirlwind of anger and panic swirling inside me. The room stayed silent, the men shifting uncomfortably under my glare, but none of them dared to speak. Good. They knew better.

I grabbed my gun, sliding it into the holster at my side with a practiced, violent motion. My body moved on autopilot, every muscle tense, coiled tight like a spring ready to snap. My pulse pounded in my ears, the pressure building behind my eyes as I strode toward the door. The silence behind me was deafening, but I didn't need anyone's input. My mind was already spiraling—every possibility, every worst-case scenario, flashing before me like some twisted nightmare on a loop.

The cold night air hit me the second I stepped outside, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning in my chest. My hands were sweating, the grip on the steering wheel too tight as I sped toward Valenti's residence, the car roaring beneath me like it was fueled by my fury. The city passed by in a blur of lights and shadows, but my focus was singular. Find her. Make sure she's safe. Fix this.

I arrived at the gates, the iron creaking open as I drove through without hesitation. I didn't wait for the guards or anyone else to announce me. I stormed through the door, the echo of my boots hitting the marble floors ricocheting off the walls.

Marcus Valenti stood at the top of the stairs, his posture rigid as soon as our eyes locked. His face, usually carved with smug arrogance, twisted with something else—something that looked almost like concern. But I didn't give a damn about what he was feeling. Not now. Not when Valenti was missing.

"Where is she?" The words ripped out of me, my voice rough, low, laced with panic I couldn't keep buried. My feet carried me across the room in seconds, closing the distance between us until I was inches from his face. My fists clenched at my sides, muscles tensing as I held back the urge to grab him by the collar and shake the answers out of him. "Where the hell is my wife?"

Marcus's eyes widened, but it was only for a fraction of a second before he straightened, chin lifting with that same cocky entitlement that had made me want to beat him senseless from the first moment we met. "What the hell are you talking about, Raeland?" His voice was low, edged with that dangerous tone he always used when he was pissed off—but I didn't care.

"Don't play dumb with me!" I spat, shoving into his space even more, making him back up a step against the banister. "She didn't come home. What have you done?!" My breath was coming faster now, each word drenched in the fear that was clawing at my insides, threatening to tear me apart if I didn't get an answer. My heart was pounding so hard it was deafening, my body humming with a desperate need to act, to do something before the panic took over.