Page 53 of Christmas Vows with the Devil

But who did it? What’s their motive? Something tells me it’s not the Russos this time. Or maybe it hasn’t been them all along.

“Start with the locals,” Uncle Roman calls out. “Someone might’ve seen something. Split up, cover every inch of town.”

My gut tells me this isn’t some random kidnapping. It’s targeted, planned. Matteo was taken for a reason. And if that’s true—he’s in more danger than anyone realizes.

Gia grabs my arm, pulling me closer. Her touch, even now, sends electricity through me, and I hate it. I hate how she still has this power over me. “You’re sure your men are on this?”

“I’ve got them looking into every possible option,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “They’ll find something.”

She looks at me like I’m her only hope. It kills me because I want to stay angry—Ineedto stay angry. If I get involved, if I believe her, then my whole world flips upside down.

But the way she’s looking at me...hell, it’s making me crumble, piece by piece.

“He’s not mine,” I mutter under my breath, as much to myself as to her.

Gia flinches, but she doesn’t argue. “Dante…”

“I’ll help you find him,” I say, cutting her off. “But this doesn’t change anything.”

She nods, but there’s something in her eyes—something broken—that makes me hate myself for saying it. But I have to draw the line somewhere. I can’t let her manipulate me again. I can’t let her make me believe Matteo’s mine just because she’s desperate.

Yet the more I think about it, the harder it is to deny. The kid looks like me. His eyes, the way he frowns when he’s serious, the smile. The pieces are all there, fitting together in a way that makes me sick to my stomach.

No. I can’t go down that road. I can’t let myself believe it.

With the family out on the hunt, the estate feels quiet, like it’s holding its breath, waiting for the worst.

“Dante,” Uncle Tony calls out from the door. “Get in here for a second.”

I nod at Gia, giving her one last look before heading inside. She’s watching me, her eyes filled with something that feels too much like hope. Hope that I’m not ready to give her.

Inside, Tony pulls me aside. “You sure about this? You’ve got your own problems back in New York. You don’t have to get tangled up in our family business.”

He’s right. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t care.

But I do.

“I’ll handle New York later,” I say, my voice harder than I feel. “Right now, we need to find Matteo.”

Tony studies me for a second, like he’s trying to figure out my angle. “We appreciate it, Dante. Gia needs you.”

Those words hit harder than they should. Gia needs me. Matteo needs me.

The fact that I want to be needed—that scares the hell out of me.

I grab my jacket, checking for my car keys in the pocket, and jog back to where Gia stands, still stunned. Tears are slowly streaming from her eyes as she clutches Matteo’s jacket. I guide her to my SUV and gently usher her inside.

We zoom down the drive, headed to town. The winding roads are empty in the darkness of Christmas Eve. Local families are hunkered down, waiting for Santa, while we search for a lost little boy.

The dark streets of the tiny town are deserted, ghostly in their festive decor. Only the Vitale family isn’t going to let them stay quiet, knocking on doors, searching alleys. Gia cries silently beside me in the passenger seat and frustration surges through me.

Hours pass, and the search feels like it’s getting us nowhere. No one’s seen anything, no one has any clues. It’s like Matteo vanished into thin air.

Anger is building inside me, and I can feel myself slipping. This whole situation is a mess. I’m supposed to be back in New York, dealing with the attacks on my men.

Instead, I’m pacing the eerie street where we’ve met back up to touch base. My breath fogs in the freezing air but my body is on fire with worry. That’s when I hear them. Gia’s aunts.

I’ve been avoiding them all night, not wanting to get tangled up in their gossip. But now, their voices float toward me from where they huddle in a storefront doorway.

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