Page 64 of Christmas Vows with the Devil

This place, once my empire, now feels haunted, every shadow holding the threat of betrayal. But I can’t let fear rule me.

Not now.

Not when I’m ready to burn it all to the ground.

Footsteps sound behind me, and I turn to see Gia standing there, her face illuminated by the early morning light. She looks exhausted, the weight of the last few days etched in every line of her face. But there’s a fierceness in her gaze, a determination that matches my own.

“We’ll find him, Dante,” she says, her voice steady, confident. “And we’ll bring Matteo home.”

I nod, the words unspoken between us heavy with promise. “Together,” I say, the word feeling foreign but right.

Her gaze softens and a rare, vulnerable moment passes between us. I feel the weight of her trust, her belief in me. It’s more than I deserve. But I’ll prove myself worthy. I’ll bring Matteo home, and I’ll end this once and for all.

Just then, my phone buzzes, the shrill ring breaking the silence. I pull it out, glancing at the screen. It’s a message from an unknown number, the words stark and chilling.

I’ve missed you, my dear boy. Come find me.

My stomach twists and my father’s mocking taunt hangs in my mind, mingling with my raging emotions.

Chapter Tweny-Three

Gia

“Oznam Enterprises,” Rocco sneers, tossing his phone on the rich mahogany desk.

Dante paces the length of his office, illuminated by the twilight and sliver of moon that hangs over the city.

I glance at my father as he shakes his head in wonder. “How did no one catch that before?

Oznam Enterprises. John Manzo’s secret operation.It’s so simple, so stupid. Manzo, but backward.

Rocco got the text earlier this evening and gathered the key members of the Vitale family in Dante’s office. We’re still wary of Dante’s men after his father’s cryptic message—better to keep inside information to a select few people.

“You have the location, Roman?”

My uncle is hunched over a laptop, pulling up maps and databases. Excitement runs through the room. We’re getting closer and closer to finding John Manzo. We’re getting close to Matteo.

“They have a few legitimate offices,” Uncle Roman explains, pointing to his screen. “But that’s not what we want.”

I watch him make a few calls, punch more words into the database. Meanwhile, Dante continues to pace. His face is stormy, rage flashing behind his eyes.

“Got it!” Uncle Roman announces suddenly. He pulls up an image of a dilapidated-looking warehouse in Queens. Looking at the building, no one would ever think it’s still functional. The roof is partly caving in, the windows boarded up.

It’s the perfect place to hide what you don’t want people to see.

Finally, my father speaks, his voice low. “We need to approach carefully, as if he already knows each move.”

His tone is grim, and though he doesn’t say it outright, I know he’s worried. We’re all out of our depth with a man like Dante’s father—someone who’s faked his own death, someone who’s likely steps ahead of us even now.

Roman nods, tapping the image in front of him. “It’s a likely hideout based on the intel we have. It’s remote but guarded, and we’ll need to get in and out without tipping anyone off.” He pauses, his jaw tight, his eyes centered on me. “We have no idea what we’ll find.”

The room falls silent, each of us turning inward, preparing for the worst. Dante’s gaze drifts back to mine, a flash of worry in his dark eyes. There’s a question there, one I don’t want to answer right now, about whether I’m ready to face the danger tomorrow brings.

But he doesn’t need to ask. I’m ready to do whatever it takes.

As the family disperses to their rooms, I linger, not yet ready to leave Dante’s side. He finishes up the last notes with Uncle Roman and Rocco before glancing my way.

When we’re alone, he walks over, taking me in his arms. His expression is softer now, as though he’s let go of the steely resolve he displays in front of everyone else.

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