Page 77 of Mafia Pregnancy

I step through the doorway and immediately know I’ve made a terrible mistake. The house is too quiet and too sterile, with an atmosphere that feels more like a trap than a home. Before I can back toward the exit, strong hands grab me from behind.

“I’m sorry.” I gasp, trying to pull away. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I should go?—”

The door slams shut behind me with finality that makes me whimper with dread. A second later, a sharp prick at my neck tells me I’ve been drugged. Whatever it is works quickly, and the last thing I see before everything goes black is the man’s cold smile and the realization that Leslie’s job offer was never real. I’ve walked directly into the hands of Radmir’s enemies, and no one knows where I am.

24

Radmir

I’m reviewing security reports in my office when Andrei bursts through the door without knocking, his face grim and a phone clutched in his hand like a weapon. “Sir, we have a problem.” He crosses the room in three quick strides and places his phone on my desk, the screen facing me. “This came from an anonymous number three minutes ago.”

I look down at the image, and world stops. Danielle sits unconscious in a chair, her head lolled to one side and her hands bound behind her back with plastic zip ties. A strip of duct tape covers her mouth, and there’s a small bruise forming on her neck where someone injected her with something. The timestamp in the corner shows the photo was taken less than an hour ago.

The rage that floods through me is so pure and violent that I have to grip the edge of my desk to keep from destroying everything within reach. Someone has taken my pregnant girlfriend, the mother of my children, and is using her as bait to draw me into whatever trap Luca has prepared.

“Where?” The word comes out as barely more than a growl.

“Unknown location. The background shows a residential interior, but nothing distinctive enough to identify.” Andrei retrieves his phone and starts pulling up contacts. “I’m mobilizing all available teams.”

“Do it.” I stand and move to the safe behind my desk, entering the combination with hands that are steadier than they have any right to be. “Send protection details immediately to retrieve Leo from his preschool and Molly from her house. I want them both at the Orange County safehouse within the hour.”

I remove my Sig Sauer and two spare magazines, checking the weapon with automatic precision while my mind shifts into the cold calculation mode that’s kept me alive for fifteen years in this business.

“What about Carmen?”

“Bring her here first. She might have information about where Danielle was going today.” I holster the gun and grab my jacket. “Luca took her to get to me, which means he wants something specific. He won’t hurt her until he’s made his demands, but we need to move fast.”

Andrei nods and heads toward the door, already making calls. “Teams will be ready to move in twenty minutes.”

“Make it fifteen.” I check my watch and calculate how long Danielle has been missing. “ This concludes today, whatever it takes.”

He disappears to coordinate the operation while I finish arming myself and try to process the image of Danielle unconscious and helpless. The bruise on her neck suggests they drugged her,which probably means she walked into a trap rather than being taken by force. Luca’s people must have used some kind of deception to lure her somewhere isolated.

The realization makes my chest constrict with guilt and fury. After the shooting at the ice cream shop last week, I’ve been more diligent about tracking Luca’s movements and eliminating his network, but I haven’t made enough progress. I underestimated how reckless he’d become, and how far he’d be willing to escalate this conflict.

Every moment I spent trying to anticipate his long-term strategy instead of striking immediately has led to this. Danielle is paying the price for my caution.

My phone rings with a call from the head of my tactical team. “Sir, we’re mobilized and waiting for coordinates. What’s the target?”

“Unknown at this time but prepare for urban assault. Full tactical gear, and assume heavy resistance.” I walk toward the garage where my armored SUV is waiting. “This is a rescue operation with extreme prejudice authorization.”

“Copy that. Teams are standing by.”

The next call is to my contact in the county sheriff’s department, a man who owes me enough favors to ensure cooperation without questions. “I need helicopter support and traffic coordination for a tactical operation. Can you make that happen?”

“How much firepower are we talking about?”

“Enough to level a city block if necessary.”

He hesitates. “What kind of situation is this?”

“The kind where someone took something that belongs to me, and I’m taking it back.” I end the call before he can ask more questions or confirm. I already know he’ll come through.

Twenty minutes later, my estate has transformed into a military command post. Six black SUVs are parked in the circular drive, each one loaded with armed men wearing tactical gear. The main conference room buzzes with activity as team leaders coordinate routes and communication protocols.

I’m studying aerial maps of North County when Carmen arrives with two of my guards, her face pale but determined. She still wears her work uniform, suggesting Andrei pulled her directly from her duties. “I came as soon as Andrei sent for me. Is it true? Did someone really take Danielle?” Her voice shakes with barely controlled fear.

“Yes.” I show her the photo on my phone, watching her face crumple with horror. “We’re going to get her back, but I need information. Where was she supposed to be today? What job was she working?”

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