Page 45 of The Underboss's Secret Twins
I look at her—really look at her. The raw desperation in her expression, the fire in her eyes. She’s furious, but beneath it, she’s afraid. Not for herself, but for Sofia. For what’s happening to her at this very moment while we stand here, wasting time.
I don’t need her to tell me. I already know.
I drag my gaze back to Luca. He’s watching me, his face unreadable, the tension in his shoulders the only sign that I’ve struck a nerve.
"I’m going after her, Luca," I say, my voice cold, final. "I don’t care what it costs."
A slow exhale. The slightest shift of his jaw. His fingers tap once against his glass, but he doesn’t argue. He doesn’t need to. The answer is already there in the silence between us.
He thinks I’m making a mistake.
Maybe I am.
But I’ve made my choice. And there’s no coming back from it.
I turn on my heel and leave before he can say another word.
The estate thrumswith the kind of controlled chaos that comes after a war. The victory against the Rossis is still fresh, the blood barely dry, but there’s no time to celebrate. Not for me. Not when Sofia is out there, trapped in enemy hands, counting down the minutes until I find her—or until it’s too late.
I head straight for the armory, my pulse a steady, determined beat against my skin. Inside, the scent of gun oil and steel lingers in the air, familiar and grounding.
Dante is already there, leaning against the table with his arms crossed, waiting.
"I’m coming with you," he says before I can open my mouth.
"No."
He scoffs. "Not a request,fratello."
I glare at him, but he doesn’t flinch. He just holds my stare, unwavering.
"You need me," he says, pushing off the table. "You know you do."
He’s right, and we both know it. Dante isn’t just my brother, he’s a strategist, a fighter, and one of the few people I trust to watch my back without hesitation. He's also an insufferable fuckboy, but I have to pick my battles.
I grit my teeth and nod. "Fine. But you listen to me. No reckless shit."
He smirks. "That’syourjob."
I ignore him and turn to Adriano, who’s already loading weapons into a case.
"I need eyes on the Lombardi operations. Safe houses, warehouses, anything. If they’ve got Sofia, they’ll want somewhere secure to keep her."
Adriano nods, his focus sharp. "I’ll pull up surveillance feeds and get in touch with our informants. We’ll find her."
I grab my gun, check the magazine, and slide it into my holster.
"This isn’t just a rescue mission," I say in an undervoice. "It’s a message. The Lombardis took someone under our protection. We’re going to show them what happens when they cross that line."
Dante loads a rifle, his expression darkening. "We’re going to burn them to the ground."
I look at him, my grip tightening around the gun.
"No."
He raises an eyebrow.
"We get Sofia first," I say. "Then we burn them to the ground."
