“What? Why?” Tabi asked, her voice trembling.
“The threat hasn’t been eliminated, Tabi. For us to take care of it, I need you to tell me what happened. How did they get to you?”
“Please. I—I don’t want to talk about it.” Her eyes fell to the floor. “Not yet, anyway.”
“That’s fair enough. But we will have that discussion, Tabi.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Why don’t you get dressed? Once you’re ready, my men will take you to your son.”
She managed a half-smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes before walking out of the room, one of my guards trailing closely behind her.
Lo pulled me into a brief one-arm hug. “Find her. Bring her back home. But you make sure you’re right the fuck behind her.”
“I promise,” I replied, giving him a reassuring pat on the back. As he stepped back, we locked eyes, an unspoken understanding passing between us before he followed Jacobi out the door.
I strolled toward the window, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. A sea of stars flickered like distant hopes against thenight sky. “How do we get in touch with Gigi’s father?” I asked Dante.
“Tony. Alphonse’s right-hand man,” Dante replied. “I’ll reach out to him and let him know we’re coming.”
“When was the last time you even spoke to her father?”
“Years.”
Years?
“Why so long?” I pressed, curiosity gnawing at my insides.
He turned away, rubbing his chest as if trying to ease an invisible ache. “Long story.”
“Good thing we have a long-ass flight, then,” I shot back, forcing a grin that barely masked the tension between us.
But Dante’s expression didn’t soften; instead, it hardened, the shadows growing deeper. “It won’t be a pleasant visit, Nico. Expect some pushback.”
His words settled like stones in my gut. But honestly, I couldn’t care less what the man thought. He may be the mafia of all mafia, but Gigi wasmine. And if he got in my way of saving her, I wouldn’t hesitate to remind him that she belonged to me.
“Let him push back,” I declared, my voice hard as steel.
Dante met my eyes, his flickering with a mix of concern and understanding. “Alphonse doesn't play by the same rules.”
“And neither do I.” My resolve hardened into something unshakeable. The stakes were towering, but I was ready to enter the battle, come hell or high water. I would not back down. Not now. Not ever.
“I'll make the call,” Dante said. He stepped out of the room with Liam, leaving me in silence.
In that stillness, I welcomed the chance to drift away from reality, my mind turning to thoughts of my Angel. I shut my eyes tight, letting the memories of her ground me. I silently pleaded with the gods to grant me a glimpse of her: her radiant smile that could chase away even the darkest shadows of my days.Her warm golden eyes that sparkled with love I felt unworthy of receiving, the soft touch of her skin against mine that felt like home. I could almost taste the sweetness of her lips, smooth as velvet, and hear her voice, pure and melodic, wrapping around me like a sacred hymn.
But then Enzo’s voice sliced through my reverie, a sharp reminder that I was here, anchored in this moment and this fucking nightmare. I opened my eyes, forcing myself to return to the present. But the ache of missing her lingered like a relentless reminder of my rage, directed at a world that continued to spin while I stood still, shackled by her loss.
“Nico, I will stay behind and keep my eyes on Stone,” Enzo offered.
“I don’t give a shit about Stone,” I ground out.
He let out a dark chuckle. “I know. Just let me know once you find her.”
“Why the hell would I do that, cop?”
Enzo rose to his feet and took a few steps toward me. Luca moved in, ready to defend me.