Page 178 of My Sweetest Temptation

I didn't answer, already at my mother's side. I fell to my knees, cradling her in my arms.

"No, Mom. Please, no," I whispered, my tears mixing with her blood as I rocked her gently. My anger turned inward, a searing pain in my chest.

I sat in my office, the drink in my hand forgotten as I stared at the wall. My mind was spinning from the shitshow of the day. The police were all over my house, but they were useless. Useless, just like I felt, sitting here while my family and my empire crumbled and my angel was taken from me.

I barely registered Luca's voice when he entered.

"Nico, Doc is here."

Jacobi entered the room quietly and solemnly, carrying his medical bag. "Nico, I'm so sorry. I..."

I raised two fingers to silence him. "Check on Enzo," I said firmly.

He went without objection to Enzo, who was resting on the couch. He had recently regained consciousness, and the first words out of his mouth were that he didn't see who took Winter. I knew that he felt like he let us down, including Winter. But he did his best, not knowing that the fuckers would blow a freaking hole in my basement and kidnap my girl.

The ache in my chest intensified as I thought of my mother. She went to the basement to check on Winter because she believed in her innocence. And now, she was gone.

Mya was still in surgery, fighting for her life, and Aurelio was with my uncle and his wife, who waited anxiously for any news. At least I knew Aurelio was cared for and safe.

My heart sank when my eyes landed on Lo. His head was buried in his hands, shoulders shaking in silent sobs. I couldn’t get the image out of my head of him struggling to push past me, desperate to get into the basement. But there was no way in hell I could let him see Mom that way. He thought he could handle it, but it would shatter him, and I didn’t want him to carry that burden.

The liquor burned my throat as I took another swig, welcoming the pain. I deserved it. Today was a disaster. I'd lost count of the men we'd lost, and now my mother, Winter, and possibly Mya.

"Boss," Miguel interrupted my dark thoughts as he appeared at the door.

"Yeah." My voice came out hoarse and raw.

"A Mr. Liam is here. He insists on seeing you."

Liam?” Winter’s neighbor? "Send him in," I snarled, downing the rest of my drink and slamming the glass on the desk.

"What the hell does he want?" Luca asked with a frown.

I didn’t respond as Miguel ushered Liam into the room. My gun was already in my hand, and I pointed it directly at him. "You better have a good fucking reason for showing up at my house," I demanded.

Liam surveyed the destruction of my office. The walls were riddled with gaping holes, bookcases were toppled over, and papers and shit from my desk had been scattered across the floor.

Liam's hands shot up in surrender, his eyes wide with panic. "Whoa! Let me explain! I work as a courier, and Mayor Walsh is one of our clients. I've done a few deliveries for him; nothing out of the ordinary. But this time... they offered me twice as much for a special job."

His words spilled out, his voice hurried and anxious. "I was instructed to collect a package from a location at a warehouse and then deliver it to a different client. When I met with my supervisor to discuss the details, I overheard my supervisor talking on the phone with Mayor Walsh about an auction in a certain warehouse. My supervisor mentioned that an unmarked vehicle would pick me up and then take me to the specified drop-off point."

There was a momentary pause as he gathered thoughts before he soke again.

"When I entered the warehouse, there was a monitor displaying an auction for women."

My blood ran cold.

"But that’s not the worst part..." Liam paused again, swallowing hard.

"What do you mean?" I hissed.

"I saw her. I don't think I was meant to, but Winter was being dragged out of a back room of the warehouses." He closed his eyes, his face pale. "She was chained up in a cage."

I stormed over to the sniveling piece of shit, my fingers tightening around the gun. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight, ready to snap. I wanted to pull the trigger, blow his fucking brains out right there. But I needed his information. Gritting my teeth, I pushed the barrel against his forehead, watching him flinch.

"You're lying," I growled. "If you’re fucking with me, I…”

"I'm not!" he cried, his eyes wild. "When she saw me, she cried, probably thinking I was part of whatever twisted game those sick fucks were into, but I’m not, I swear to God.”

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