Chapter 34: The Aftermath

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Dante

I tear down the street, my car barely clinging to the curves as I take the turns too fast. My heart is hammering in my chest, and all I can see is red—Luca's smug voice replaying in my head over and over, the way he talked about Sienna like she was nothing. He didn't care about her. She was just leverage, a pawn in his sick game, and that makes me want to rip him apart even more.

I'm nearly there, speeding through the quiet streets toward the house, praying—fuck—praying I'm not too late.

When I finally pull up to the house, my heart drops. The front door is wide open, hanging off its hinges, smashed in like someone used brute force to break it down. I slam on the brakes, my tires screeching as I jump out of the car, not even bothering to shut the door behind me.

I bolt toward the house, my pulse pounding in my ears. The silence inside feels thick, suffocating. The place feels wrong. Empty. My worst fears start to claw their way up my throat as I take in the damage—furniture overturned, lamps shattered on the floor. But no sign of her.

"Sienna!" I shout, my voice echoing off the walls as I rush through the house, checking every room. The place is trashed, and it's clear there was a struggle, but there's no blood—no signs of anyone being hurt. That's the only thing keeping me from losing it completely.

But she's gone. He took her.

I stop in the middle of the living room, my fists clenched at my sides, my mind racing. I grip the back of a chair, knuckles white as I try to keep my breathing steady, but it feels like the walls are closing in on me.

Where the fuck is she?

Just then, I hear tires screeching outside, and I rush back toward the front door. Nico's car pulls up, and he jumps out, his face grim as he runs toward me.

"Dante," Nico calls out, his eyes scanning the broken door before landing on me. His expression hardens when he sees the state of the house. "What the hell happened?"

"He fucking took her," I growl, my voice strained, barely keeping it together. "Luca found her and took her."

Nico's face darkens, his jaw clenching as he looks around the wreckage. "When?"

"Not long ago," I say, pacing back and forth in front of the doorway. My mind is moving too fast, trying to piece together the situation. "She called me while I was at the construction site. I heard him—heard him—before the line went dead."

"Jesus," Nico mutters under his breath. He steps closer, his voice low but firm. "We'll find her, Dante."

I stop pacing, turning to face him. My fists are still clenched at my sides, every muscle in my body wound tight. "We don't have time to find her, Nico. He's already got her. He said she didn't fucking matter to him." My voice breaks slightly as the anger mixes with fear, my mind replaying the cold detachment in Luca's voice. "He doesn't care what happens to her, and that means he could hurt her—he could do anything just to spite me."

Nico's expression shifts, his gaze hardening with resolve. "Then we make sure he never has the chance."

I nod, trying to focus on the plan, on what we have to do next. But it's hard. My chest feels tight, and my mind keeps flashing back to Sienna. Alone. Scared. And with him.

"I need a trace on her phone," I snap, running a hand through my hair. "We need every contact we have out there looking for Luca's men. I don't care who he has with him or where they're hiding. We're bringing her back. Tonight."

Nico doesn't hesitate, already pulling out his phone to make the calls. "I'll have the techs work on the trace. We'll get eyes everywhere."

I stand there, trying to focus on breathing—trying to push past the panic threatening to swallow me whole. Sienna needs me to keep my shit together. I can't afford to fall apart now, not when every second counts.

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