Gabriele’s POV
“What?!” I hissed as I dropped the files I was holding at once.
“Who would dare send such stupid pictures to her?!” I growled.
The whole thing now made me boil with anger. What were they trying to achieve?!
“I don’t know Fratello. But we are already investigating it. She should be home soon,” Basilio said on the phone.
“Fine, handle it. I should be done here before the weekend,” I said.
Basilio has a gruff response before the line went dead.
It was already past midnight and I had an even longer day the next day. I had to follow through with my casinos. Everything just seemed to go wrong.
My company database was attacked a few days ago, and while I still struggled to sort that out, the Feds were unto me.
It almost felt like someone was after me even when I no longer dealt with illegal business.
The last goods I sent to Asia got intercepted at sea and nothing I did could bring them back.
I ran my fingers through my hair and took a deep breath. I needed to go home to Arianna. She was the only one capable of making me happy.
Only she could take away all the stress and problems that crowded my head.
With the assurance of peace of mind only she could give me, I got off the chair and went on to bed. I was so tired, I didn’t realize it until I fell flat on the bed.
My eyes closed almost automatically.
I had a dreamless night which was rarely given all the trauma I had been through with my mother and sister -even with Arianna’s attack.
I felt like the moment I closed my eyes something terrible happened but for some reason, this night was peaceful. Too peaceful.
When I finally woke up, I did with a racing heart like I was been chased.
My eyes snapped to the clock resting on the bedside table and saw that it was exactly seven in the morning.
I got down from the bed and made to go to the bathroom. I was heading there when my body hit a strong obstacle.
“Shit!” I cursed as I realized I walked into the wall.
Did it fucking shift?
I glared at the annoying wall and went in the right direction. My shower and business were quick.
My phone was blaring as I stepped out of the shower. My heart sank as I suddenly felt fear fill my nerves.
As I walked to the phone, a negative feeling took over me. I had to shake myself out of the thoughts as I accepted the call.
“Gabriele, we are ready…” It was Jane’s voice. My heart returned to its usual beat but the feeling of dread still lingered.
“Sure, Jane. I will be there,” I said.
I held on to the phone as I yearned to hear Arianna’s voice. I brought her number to the main screen but my finger hovered above it as I realized it would only delay my meeting.
I would speak to her when I return, I decided and went on to quickly strap on my clothes.
I started for the door but my phone vibrated in my pockets again causing my heart to sink even further.
I pulled out the phone and saw that it was Basilio. I knew at once that something wasn’t right.
The feeling of dread wouldn’t just take over me without a source.
“Fratello, we have a problem. Arianna didn’t make it back.” Basilio blurted out and I felt time freeze as my briefcase dropped from my hands.
“What?!”
“I have called Agostino, I am waiting to hear from him. We have shut down every activity in the airport. Her grandparents said she had boarded the plane. I don’t understand-”
My ears completely zoned out as I blocked out his explanation. I couldn’t do this a second time. I couldn’t go through the pain and stress of losing Arianna.
“Call in the police and the fucking army if you have to Basilio, but please find her.” My voice shook as the dread I woke up with that morning filled me up to the brim. “I am coming back to Italy right now.”
I ended the call without waiting for Basilio’s response and went out through the doors without even taking anything with me except my phone.
“Good morning boss,” The driver said as he held the door open for me.
“Take me to the airport,” I whispered.
I became like someone that had become possessed by another spirit. My anger and fear were caged so much so that I couldn’t do anything. I just stayed calm.
Too calm.
“But… Sir-ms Jane said-” the driver stuttered but as his eyes met my burning glare, he swallowed his words and nodded politely.
“Okay sir,” He responded.
He got into the car and drove us to the airport. I didn’t tell him the urgency but from my attitude, he understood that it was a matter of life and death.
A text message vibrated through my hands and I quickly unlocked the phone to check who it might be.
It was a text message from Jane wondering why I hadn’t gotten to the meeting yet.
I sent her a simple text with the words I dreaded saying out loud. “Arianna is kidnapped. I am going back to Italy,” My message read.
The car soon stopped in front of the airport and just as I stepped down, Agostino’s call came through.
“Have you found her?” I gritted out as I placed the phone against my ear.
“Last message we just intercepted says she is in Russia. We are boarding a plane to get to her right now,” He said with urgency.
Agostino was a blessing to me. He was ready to leave everything he was doing just to come to sort out my problems.
“I will meet you there,” I said and headed to the private plane section. I didn’t have to show my documents to the security personnel, they knew me too well.
I got into my plane and the pilot set course to Russia.
I didn’t even imagine what they would be doing to her at this moment. They might be torturing her just to get to me.
“Damn it!” I hissed as I pulled my hands into fists and waited for the plane to land.
I was going to kill them with my bare hands. There was nothing anybody could tell me that I would listen to.
Arianna was innocent. If they needed to punish anyone, it was meant to be me, not her.
“Shit!” I cursed under my breath as the images of what they could be doing to her came to my mind.
I didn’t even want to associate this with Demyan and Gianni but I had no other enemy that would want to hurt me this bad.
This was wrong. This shouldn’t be happening.
My eyes stayed awake as the plane flew over the cities. How could I sleep when my world was crumbling?
It was one thing for my business to be in a mess but not my heart. Not Arianna.
After long hours of waiting without as much news, the plane landed and we arrived in Russia.
I turned on my phone and started heading down. I dialed Basilio’s number and waited impatiently for him to pick up.
“Talk to me, where are you? Have you found her yet?” I asked.
“I have sent our location to your designated driver. Don’t worry Fratello, we will find her,” He assured me and I grunted.
I was a broken mess. I didn’t want to dispute what he said because as much as I felt this was a good plan, the dreadful feeling refused to go away. It was almost like we were too late.
My men were parked at the private airport waiting for me. As soon as they sighted me, the door pulled open and I got in.
They started the car and we moved out of the airport. The others followed after us. It was early in the morning and the sun was just coming up.
I hoped I could have Arianna in my arms before the sun when down again.
Soon, we got to the location and before the car could even come to a proper stop, I got down and jogged to where Agostino and Basilio were giving commands to a group of men.
“Angelo, we have a problem,” Agostino said the moment he saw me approaching.
I jogged faster and joined them on the round table. Mike and Niko nodded their heads in greeting but I was too engulfed in finding out what they had gotten about Arianna for me to respond.
“What is it? Where is she?” It was a miracle that I wasn’t screaming the place down. I was extremely calm.
Just like I had been the day, my mother and sister had left me.
“There is nothing here. It was a wild goose chase. Arianna isn’t here Gabriele!” My godfather hissed out in frustration.
“All the signs pointed here! I was certain of it!”
“Boss! We found her phone!” One of the guards called as he joined us around the table.
“Let me see that!” I grabbed the phone out of his hands and I confirmed that it was indeed his.
A message was popping up on the home screen. Which was strange because there was no sim card on the phone.
I unlocked the screen and the message popped open.
“If you are reading Gabriele, it means you fell for my trap. Arianna isn’t in Russia… Your vigilante Gianni.”
“Fuck!” I growled smashing the phone to the ground.