Page 29 of Kidnapped By the Mafia

I focus on the glass in my hand, the way the light from the chandelier above reflects off the crystal, casting fractured rainbows across the table. It’s a beautiful distraction, but it does nothing to dull the sharp edge of reality.

“Albrecht’s been making a lot more moves the last twenty-four hours,” he says, changing the subject with the ease of someone who’s spent a lifetime navigating dangerous waters. “There was an attempt on Lou’s life, the raid on our warehouse in the Bronx, and word is he’s been bribing our city officials, trying to get them on his payroll.”

“Desperation,” I say, the word a growl in the back of my throat. “He’s getting reckless.”

“Reckless can be dangerous,” Jake warns, his tone serious. “We need to strike back, hard and fast. Show him who runs this city. What about your new wife?”

“What about her?”

“Could use her as bait. Draw him out into the open.”

I nod, agreeing with him in principle, but there’s a part of me—an unfamiliar, uncomfortable part—that hesitates. Using her as a pawn to get close enough to Albrecht to end this feud once and for all?

It’s a move I would have made without a second thought in the past. But now… the idea of putting her in that kind of danger twists something inside me, something I’m not used to feeling.

“We’ll deal with Albrecht,” I say finally, my voice steady, betraying none of the turmoil I’m feeling. “But we’ll do it on our terms. I want you to clamp down on his operations, cut off his resources, and remind him that this is my city.”

He nods, understanding the unspoken order. “Consider it done.”

I stand, the decision made, and head toward the door at the back of the lounge. “We’ve got work to do.”

There’s still unfinished business to attend to tonight, and I can’t afford to be distracted by thoughts of Emily. As much as she’s burrowed her way into my mind, into my life, I can’t let her weaken me. Not now.

But as I reach for the door handle, a thought lingers at the edge of my mind, one that I’ve been trying to ignore since the day I met her: What if she’s not just a weakness? What if she’s something more?

I push the thought aside, stepping through the door into the dimly lit hallway beyond. I can’t afford to think like that. Not in my world, where compassion is a luxury that gets you killed. But Emily isn’t just anyone.

She’s my wife now, carrying my child, and whether I like it or not, she’s become a part of me.

The hallway is narrow, the air thick with the scent of cigar smoke and aged whiskey, lingering reminders of the men who’ve passed through here before me.

I walk with purpose, each step measured, deliberate, as I head toward the small, private room where the rest of tonight’s business awaits. My mind is still churning with thoughts of Emily, but I shove them aside, focusing on the task at hand.

Jake follows close behind, his footsteps silent but ever-present, a constant reminder that I’m never truly alone in this world. He’s been with me through everything—every rise, every fall, every bloody moment that’s defined my life.

He knows the cost of this life, the sacrifices it demands, and he’s never once questioned them. But tonight, I can feel his eyes on me, weighing the decisions I’ve made, the ones I’m about to make.

20

LUCAS

Ipush open the next door and step inside. The room is small, dimly lit by a single hanging bulb, casting long shadows on the cracked plaster walls.

A single chair sits in the center, facing a table covered in neatly arranged tools—tools of persuasion, of fear, of control. I’ve used them all before, countless times, and tonight will be no different. It’s part of the job, part of what it means to rule this city.

Jake closes the door behind us, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching me closely.

There’s a moment of silence as I consider my options, my gaze drifting to the tools on the table. This is the part of the job that comes naturally to me—ruthlessness, the willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain control. But tonight, there’s a hesitation that wasn’t there before. My mind keeps going to Emily.

The thought of using her as a pawn in this war, of putting her in danger to get close to Albrecht, makes something inside me twist in a way I don’t like.

“Now let’s get what we need from this bastard,” I say, walking into the center of the room.

Jake moves to the corner, giving me the space I need as I prepare for what comes next. The man we’ve been holding here, the only survivor from the ones who tried to kidnap Emily, is about to learn the consequences of crossing me.

I stand over the man bound to the chair. His head hangs low, and the gag in his mouth muffles the pitiful groans that slip past his bloodied lips. The flickering light above casts sharp shadows across his bruised face, highlighting the fear in his eyes.

It’s a look I’ve seen countless times before, a look that usually excites me, but tonight, there’s a different edge to it—a distraction I can’t shake.

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