Twisted Loyalty

Chapter 35: No Stone Unturned

Dante

The cold light of early morning filters through the windows of my office, casting a dull glow across the cluttered desk in front of me. Papers, files, maps—everything is a chaotic mess, but it's all centered on one goal: finding Sienna. My fingers are clenched so tightly around my phone that my knuckles are white, but no matter how many calls I make, how many favors I pull in, every answer is the same.

Nothing. No trace of her.

I slam my fist down on the desk, the thud reverberating through the room. Fuck!

Nico sits across from me, his own phone pressed to his ear as he talks to one of our contacts. His face is tight, his jaw set in that same hardened look he always gets when things go south. He's been my right hand for years, and he knows exactly how much this is tearing me apart. He's seen me angry before—raging, ruthless—but this is different. This is personal. I'm barely holding it together.

"I need answers," I growl, pacing behind my desk as I listen to the dial tone on my phone. I dial another number—one of the techs we have working on tracing her phone. The call goes through after a few rings.

"Anything yet?" I snap the second I hear the tech pick up.

There's a pause on the other end, and I hear the clicking of keys. "Still nothing, boss. We've tried pinging her location several times, but it looks like they either smashed the phone or disabled it. The last signal we got was from somewhere outside the city, but it went dead shortly after. We're running through every possible tower ping, but it's a dead zone."

A dead zone. Of course. Luca's not stupid. He'd have her hidden in some place where no one could track her, somewhere far enough away to give him the upper hand. My jaw tightens, fury bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Then keep fucking trying," I bark, before hanging up.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to steady my breathing. But it's no use. The panic in my chest, the gnawing fear, it's relentless. She's out there—alone, scared—and I can't get to her. I was supposed to protect her. I should've been there.

Nico finishes his call and looks over at me, his face grim. "Nothing on my end either. Luca's being smart, keeping everything under wraps. None of our usual guys have heard a thing about his movements."

I slam my fist down on the desk again, papers scattering to the floor. "It's been hours, Nico. Hours. She could be anywhere by now."

"I know, Dante, but we'll find her." He stands, crossing the room toward me, his expression as hard as stone. "We've got men searching every corner of the city. Luca's good, but he's not invincible. He'll slip up eventually, and when he does, we'll be there."

I shake my head, pacing again, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. "We don't have time for him to slip up. We need to find him now."

My phone buzzes again, and I snatch it up without looking at the screen. It's another one of my contacts—a guy I know who runs a few safehouses outside the city. If anyone knows where Luca might be hiding, it's him.

"Talk to me," I say, my voice sharp.

"Hey, Dante. I heard you were looking for Luca?" The guy's voice is cautious, like he's unsure if he should even be talking to me. "I've been hearing whispers—nothing solid, but some of my men have spotted a couple of Luca's guys moving out near the industrial district. You know, those old warehouses by the river? Abandoned, but still secure enough if someone needed to hide out."

I pause, my heart hammering in my chest. It's a lead—finally, something to work with. "Which warehouses?"

"Old Griggs building, near the docks. I don't have eyes on Luca himself, but his guys? Yeah, they've been spotted in and out of there. It's worth a look, but—"