Page 52 of Kidnapped By the Mafia

Docks.

37

LUCAS

Ipush the car to its limits. The streets are nearly empty at this hour, the city asleep, unaware of the storm that’s about to break. But for me, the storm has already started, and there’s no stopping it now.

The docks are deserted when I arrive, the only sound the lapping of the water against the piers and the distant hum of the city. I step out of the car, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. My hand hovers near the gun at my side, every sense on high alert.

Then, I see him—a shadowy figure stepping out from behind a stack of shipping containers. It’s the informant, a man who’s risked everything to give me information in the past. He looks nervous, glancing around as if expecting Albrecht’s men to jump out at any moment.

“You got something for me, Jimmy?” I ask, my voice low, deadly calm.

He nods, but the fear in his eyes is unmistakable. “I can’t give you her but I can give you the cop who tried to take her.”

“Where?” I demand, stepping closer, the impatience clear in my tone.

“Queens.” He gives me an address and I lock it into my memory.

It’s not much, but it’s enough. The fire inside me roars back to life, the anger and determination sharpening into something deadly. Queens. If that’s where they’ve taken her, I’ll burn the place to the ground if I have to.

I nod to him, the briefest acknowledgment of the risk he’s taken. “Get out of here,” I order. “And keep your head down. You don’t want to be around when this explodes.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He’s already slipping back into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as he came. I turn back to the car, the plan forming in my mind.

I call Jake, the phone pressed to my ear as I move through the quiet streets

“We’ve got a lead,” I say, my voice cutting through the quiet. “Queens. I’ll send you the location.”

“On it,” Jake replies, the sound of movement in the background telling me he’s already mobilizing the men.

“I’m going in,” I add. “Meet me there with backup.”

“Lucas,” Jake starts, but I cut him off before he can finish.

“No arguments, Jake. She’s in there, and I’m not waiting around while Albrecht’s men have her.”

There’s a beat of silence, then a resigned sigh. “Understood. We’ll be there.”

I hang up, the determination solidifying into something cold, unyielding. This ends tonight. No more games, no more waiting. Albrecht made his move, and now it’s my turn.

Emily is out there, somewhere in Queens, and I’m going to find her.

And God help anyone who gets in my way.

38

EMILY

The air inside the van is thick and stifling, the smell of sweat and oil clinging to the walls like a suffocating blanket.

My wrists are raw from the ropes biting into my skin, the rough fibers digging deeper every time the van hits a bump. The darkness presses in on me, wrapping around me like a shroud.

I’m trapped. Truly, utterly trapped.

My thoughts race, trying to find some escape, some way out of this nightmare, but there’s nothing. All I can hear is the steady thrum of the engine and the occasional muttered curses of the men up front.

My heart pounds in my chest, so loud I’m sure they can hear it. The fear claws at my insides, sharp and unrelenting, but it’s the hopelessness that terrifies me the most.

---