Page 3 of The Veiling

“Isabelle’s gone.”

His eyes shifted to Tanya, then back to me. “What the fuck happened? I wasn’t watchin—”

“No shit,” I spat. “I told her to stand with you and I told you to fucking watch them! It was my fucking fault, though. I should’ve been by her side and not back here talking to Emilio.”

Blaine sighed. “l’m so sorry! I fucked up. I’ll do whatever I can to fix this.”

Noah exhaled angrily, pressing the mic on the cord hanging from his earpiece.The Sun has left the premises. Fall back. Lift lockdown but check everyone as they’re leaving.

Hearing her called by her code name made me feel as if I would crumble into a million pieces at any moment. It was the nickname my staff had given her because she made our home bright the moment she stepped through the door.

“Valentino,” Tanya choked, “Isabelle said her stomach was hurting and needed to use the bathroom.”

“Shit,” William mumbled. “He must have poison—”

“Donotfinish that sentence!” I snapped. “My fiancée is fine and I’m going to get her back!” I strode toward the door, but Noah blocked the exit, folding his arms.

“You know I care about my cousin more than anything,” he swallowed hard, “but I have to agree with Joseph about you going home. You have to let us do our jo—”

Fisting his lapel, I shoved him back against the wall, pressing my arm to his chest. “Noah,” I seethed, leaning close to his face. “Find. My. Fiancée. NOW!” Jerking away, I rolled my shoulders back and yanked my mask out of my pocket, securing it on my face once again.

He offered a silent, single nod. Flickering my gaze, I sauntered toward the back exit and out to a waiting, black Range Rover with security trailing me. The driver jumped out, but I lifted my hand. He slid back inside, closing the door just as quickly.

A palm landed on my shoulder. “V.”

Alarmed, I whirled around. “They let you leave?”

“No, of course not.” Giovanni, one of my close friends and Don of another New York family, slid his hands in his pockets. “I forced my way out before the lockdown lifted.” He darted his eyes around at my men, who gathered close by. “What’s going on?”

“She’s missing.” Fists tightened at my side, I clenched my jaw, trying my best to keep my voice down.

“Your fiancée.”

I nodded. “Your brother was just here and warned me about the problem we spoke about.” I gestured back and forth between us. It probably would have benefitted me to speak in our native tongue at the moment, but three of my non-Italian security were close by and I wanted them to understand me.

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“I have to go.” I took a step toward the waiting SUV.

“What can my family do?”

Shaking my head, I pivoted around. “Nothing. We have this.”

He lifted his brows. “It looks like you don’t.”

“If I need your family, I’ll call for you.”

“We will be on high alert and looking out. We’ll have ears to the streets.”

I nodded once. With a subtle head bow, he turned to go back into the hotel. I yanked the SUV door open and got in. Noah jogged to the other side, sliding in next to me while Joseph jumped into an identical Range Rover in front of us.

The driver sped in the opposite direction of my estate. I circled my thumb on the pad of my index finger, staring out the window, realizing we were heading toward the penthouse.

“It was my fault.” Noah sighed. “I wasn’t watching her more closely.”

I glanced at him.

Arms enveloped around his own body, he gritted his teeth firmly in anguish. It was just as much personal for him as it was me. “I should’ve been by her side as you hired me to be, but I was trying to be in several places at once and this happened. I failed her.”

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