Page 47 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

“They’re going to pay for this.” The storm brewing inside of me grew, ravenous for destruction. “Every last one of them.”

“Yes, they will,” my father agreed with a hint of pride. “But first, we need to secure what’s ours. They were already movingin on our territory, and now you have the Omega they believe belongs to them. You took something precious from them, and they want her back.”

“Over my dead body.”

“I always felt the same about your mother. There is nothing an Alpha wouldn’t do for his Omega. I would’ve given my life to save hers.”

I breathed deeply, trying to rein in my anger over the whole situation. “Precisely. They’re not getting their hands on my mate again. They’ll have to go through me. Through us.” I amended, knowing my brothers would all feel exactly the same way.

“Throughallof us,” my father added in solidarity.

And fuck if it didn’t hit me square in the chest. This life took sacrifice, but this was the benefit of all we’d built.

“This latest move proves how ballsy the Valentinos are getting,” he continued. “They’re desperate to expand their kingdom and take back what they believe is rightfully theirs. Your Omega—Kitania—they want her as badly as they want our downfall. What happened to Nick was merely a prelude to what’s coming. Keep her safe, Dimitri. At all costs.”

I nodded, just one sharp movement, even though he couldn’t see me. “With my life,” I vowed.

A chill ran down my spine as another thought struck me. “What about Enzo?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Like Nick, Enzo was more than a best friend; he was practically a brother. The three of us had been as thick as thieves and the possibility of losing him too…

My father’s pause was deafening. “You haven’t heard from him?”

Goddammit!My stomach dropped as I realized Enzo hadn’t checked in at his usual time. I’d been so wrapped up in taking care of Kitania that I’d let myself slip and neglected my duties.

I flicked back through my text messages and phone calls, trying to pinpoint the last point of contact I’d had with Enzo. “Not for...” I trailed off, quickly doing the math in my head. “Shit. Not for over twenty-four hours.”

“Find him,” my father ordered, his voice sharp with urgency. “And Dimitri? Use caution. The Valentinos aren’t playing games anymore.”

The line went dead, leaving me alone with the weight of everything that had just been dumped on my shoulders. With carefully controlled rage, I hefted the paperweight and threw it across the room, reveling in the way it smashed and shattered into a thousand glittering shards. The release grounded me once more, reminding me of who I was and what I had to do.

Shoving a hand into my dark hair, I stormed from the office in search of Marco and Gio.

We had an Omega to protect, a friend to mourn, and another to find.

And the rest of a fuckingfamilyto destroy.

eighteen

MARCO

My knuckles achedas I gripped the steering wheel, navigating through the dimly lit streets. The city’s nightlife buzzed around me, a cacophony of neon lights and people out and about, looking for a good time—or as I used to call it, a midweek pick-me-up. It felt completely at odds with the grim reality of my world right now.

Worry gnawed at my gut, a constant companion since I’d learned Enzo had gone missing. And Nick…

I swallowed, unable to even think about it.

Just…fuck!

Every passing moment amplified my concern, each street that came up empty pissing me off as I continued my search. We’d been out all day, checking all the safe-houses and patrolling our territory lines to find our man, but the chances of him being found alive were dwindling. It had been my suggestion to comb Silver City from the outside in, looking for any sign of Enzo.

After exhausting all the bars and clubs we frequented, I’d taken to searching alleyways as a last fuckin’ resort. My gaze darted along the backstreets and thruways, continuously scanning and assessing every damn shadow.

Another hour later, and I was almost ready to give up when a hunched figure caught my eye. A man limped down the sidewalk before skirting into an alleyway. He leaned heavily against the brick, head dropping back while his arm clutched at his ribs.

Even in the dim light, the silhouette was unmistakable.

“Thank fuck.” Recklessly, I veered the car around, cutting off traffic before zooming to a stop at the mouth of the alley.

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