Page 104 of Broken Bonds

“Fuck, are you sure?” No, I’m playing, asshole.

“I wouldn’t joke about something so important, I just received a text with a very disturbing photo.”

I hear him sigh on the other end of the line before speaking again. “Josh and I are on our way. I know it’s asking a lot of you, but you have to calm down, Lionel. Help is on the way and we’ll get Stella back sooner than you know. Mathilda is going to get some things moving with the Feds while we fly.”

Those words sound so empty, as if said in another reality, to someone else.

“See you.” I finish the call as I push my foot on the pedal. I need to get to Carrollton as soon as possible.

When I get to town, the first thing I do is go to the house we bought. I run in, and what I find there isn’t very encouraging. The entrance guard is lying on the ground with a syringe stuck in his neck. Whoever has Stella isn’t afraid and is desperate—which is a bad combination.

Sanders is lying on the ground facedown. The wound on his head has stopped bleeding. I check his neck for a pulse, he’s unconscious, but not dead. Thank God.

“Mr. Kral, come see this,” Davis calls me, who usually accompanies me on my trips to Louisville. On one of the kitchen walls, taped to the wall with a bloody knife is a note.

Your life for hers.

Every minute counts.

Chapter 32

The seconds tick by, each one feeling like an eternity as I stand here helplessly, my wife and unborn child’s lives hanging in the balance. Where are you? My heart races with panic and frustration. “Davis, we need to go to Stella’s house now!” But our desperate rush is futile - the place is deserted. Still, I search every corner for any sign, any clue that could lead me to them. The tension builds inside me, a fierce anger boiling over at my own powerlessness.

The house is eerily quiet today, the hive being taken care of by someone else. I push past the neatly arranged molds on the drying rack, frantically searching through drawers and cabinets for anything that could point me in the right direction. There has to be something here.

My hands trembling, I open the first drawer of the dresser in Stella’s bedroom and find her old legal pad from what seems like ages ago. With shaking hands, I read her notes carefully, hoping they will reveal some hidden clue. “Lionel wanted to buy an old winery” - my mind races, connecting the dots. Without hesitation, I grab my phone and begin searching for wineries for sale in the area.

As fate would have it, there are two potential locations—one in Carrollton and one across the river in Madison, Indiana. My gut instinct tells me where she might be.

I’m ready to charge ahead alone but Davis stops me. “I have a gun,” he says, his voice determined. “And there are rifles and other weapons in the trunk. But going in without a proper plan could put Mrs. Kral in even more danger.”

It’s a risk we have to take. “Surprise will work in our favor,” I say firmly, ready to jump into action.

We park the SUV on a side road about a mile from the winery, careful not to draw attention as we make our way closer on foot, guided by a GPS. Davis packs his weapons into a duffel bag, ready for whatever comes our way.

“Wait here,” he says, holding out his arm to stop me. We crouch on a small hill, using binoculars to scan the area. A man with a shaved head and gang-like tattoos is smoking a cigarette outside the old winery. My heart sinks - this isn’t my brother or anyone I know, but there’s something familiar about him. A surge of fear and determination fills me as I realize we’re getting closer to finding Stella.

A bald, heavily tattooed man puffs on his cigarette outside the rundown house. The ink on his skin is not the artistic kind, but more like symbols of a dangerous gang. Through the binoculars provided by Davis, I study his features intensely. He may not be my biological brother, but there’s a familiarity in his face that sends shivers down my spine. Suddenly, it all clicks into place. This man was there the day of the assault. He’s one of them.

We can’t see inside the house to know how many more are waiting for me to arrive. As time ticks by and no one else emerges, I know it’s time to make my move. My heart races as I leave the truck and enter the property alone.

I stick to my plan, pulling up in front of the dilapidated house and turning off the engine. The door swings open and I come face to face with my own reflection.

“It took you long enough to find me, little brother,” he taunts as he approaches me. I’m stunned for a long moment, unable to believe what I’m seeing. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for years…”

Suddenly, everything makes sense. This is why Stella was confused, why she fell for his deception so easily. Identical twins, with our matching features and tattoos.

My blood boils at the realization.

“Where’s Stella?” I demand, cutting off his words.

“She’s fine, don’t worry.” He smirks arrogantly. “After all, she’s my wife.”

“No,” I correct him harshly. “She’s mine.”

He laughs again, clearly enjoying this power play. “But I was the one who married her, wasn’t I?”

“After stealing my identity,” I accuse him boldly. “And now I’ll take back everything you stole from me, including her.”

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