LUCIANO
My shoes connected with the concrete floor as I stepped down from my car, banging the door shut behind me. Fatigue sat on my shoulders as I made my way into the mansion, it was still early in the morning, the sun was struggling to fully set.
The only flicker of hope I had was that I’d meet Jade at home because I had left before she even returned back from her parenta house. Her presence made everything feel much lighter. I made my way into the house, my blazer folded against my forearm.
As soon as I was in the hallway, my head was already swiveling around in search of my wife. One of the maids walked up to me, curtsying a bit before retrieving the blazer from me. “Where is Jade?” I asked.
Elizabeth shrugged innocently. “I don’t know sir, she hasn’t returned since she went to see her parents.”
My expression tightened, “What? Elizabeth, are you sure about this? Because I called her yesterday night and she said she was driving…”
I facepalm myself, admonishing myself for not calling her later to check up, I was so occupied with my numerous work issues that it slipped my memory.
“Perhaps she went elsewhere sir, why not try calling?”
I quickly dug my hands into my pocket to retrieve my phone. Jade would never just go somewhere like that unannounced.
I dialed her number, pacing around as I waited for a response. “Please pick up!” I muttered repeatedly to myself as I paced back and forth.
There was no response, the phone was ringing but there was no response. I decided to call her father instead.
He answered. “Hello Mr Andrea? Is Jade still there with you guys?”
“No, she left here last night Luciano,” her father explained, worry evident in his voice. “Why?”
“I’ll call you back.” I hung up, running my fingers through my hair. Jade might be in serious danger.
Panic echoed in my chest as my heart skipped a beat. I could feel the remnants of fatigue dispel. I had to find Jade. I rushed out towards my car, ignoring Elizabeth’s calls as she tried to ask what was going on.
I revved the engine to life and drove off hastily speeding down the road. With one hand secured to the steering wheel, I reach for my phone and grab it. I put a call out to one of most trusted capo, Petro.
“Hello, my wife’s gone missing, and I have a huge feeling someone very close to me is behind this, we have to find her before something horrible happens to her”
“Okay, on it Luciano, I’ll mobilize the men.”
I hung up, opening the tracking app as my eyes focused on the road. The speedometer reached tethered near its limit as I sped down the highway.
The red dot on my screen indicated her current location, or atleast the location of her phone. I opened the glove compartment and retrieved my gun.
About fifteen minutes later I reached the street. I noticed a crowd gathered round a car and I feared the worst had happened, what if she was involved in an accident?
I tucked the gun into my holster and got down from my vehicle, dashing towards the scene. I paved my way through the crowd, forcefully shoving people aside until I reached the heart of the commotion. A few police officers were littered around and her car was by the edge of the road, the drivers window shattered.
I looked around, her phone was nestled on the passenger seat. She was definitely kidnapped. “Excuse me, are you by any chance the owner of this car? We’re about to tow it away,” a voice called.
“It belongs to my wife, what happened here?”
“We’re still trying to investigate, the detectives are on their way-”
I turned to my side, noticing the tire tracks on the ground. “Bullshit!” I cussed. I retrieved my business card, shoving it towards the officer. “If anything come up, call me.”
I rushed back into my car and followed the directions of the tire tracks. If I had to turn this city upside down to find Jade, I would.
JADE
My eyelids fluttered open, assaulted by the stale air and the oppressive darkness that clung to the room like a shroud. My head throbbed, a dull ache blooming behind my eyes. Disoriented, I tried to sit up, but a searing pain in my ankle sent me back down with a whimper.
Memories flickered into existence, hazy fragments of a struggle, a scream choked in my throat, then… nothing.
Panic clawed at my chest, constricting my lungs. I was bound, wrists secured behind my back, ankles tied to the chair I sat on.
I opened my mouth to speak, but the cloth that gagged my mouth muffled my words. I jerked against the ropes, but they only dug into my skin, leaving their mark as I hissed in pain.
The clicking of shoes met my ears and I froze, trying to pinpoint the location. “You’re finally awake,” he said, dragging his voice mockingly.
I raised my head, my chest heaving as I locked eyes with him. The sliver of light that penetrated from the window managed to partially illuminate his face.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he stared back. “Jade,” he started, taking a step closer. He extended his hands, grazing my chin with his fingers.
I snatched my head away, looking in the opposite direction. “You are as beautiful as you are stubborn,” he continued, letting out a low chuckle.
He reached for the cloth tied against my mouth and undid the knot. I let out a sharp breath then peered at him.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Raffaele stepped forward, causing my heart to skip a beat. His demeanor was cold and his soulless eyes sent a shiver down my spine.
“The baby’s birth means the mafia power stays with Luciano,” Raffaele explained. “And I can’t let that happen, especially when Luciano wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place.”
My nostrils flared as I shook my head. “Your plan can’t work Raffaele and you know it!” I spat.
He let a sharp cackle escape his throat as he threw his head backwards. “It’s cute when you try to be defiant.” He closed the gap between up, grabbing my chin with force.
I held my breath, maintaining eye contact with him as I clenched my jaws. “I will kill you and that goddamn baby and there’s nothing anybody can do about it,” he deadpanned.
“When Luciano finds out what you’ve done, he won’t spare you and everyone else involved!”
A searing pain radiated around my right cheek as he delivered an open handed blow against my face. My face twisted in the opposite direction as ringing sounds filled my ear.
“And just who do you think you are? Who the hell do you think Luciano is? A god? Super man?”
Another slapped crashed against my other cheek, making me yelp in pain. “Where’s your Luciano now? Where is he, fucking bastard!”
“The first thing I’m going to do is to get rid of that baby, then use you to lure Luciano out so I can kill both of you , then nothing will stop me from becoming capo,” he continued.
Tears pricked the corner of my eyes as they widened. “No,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Leave my child out of this,” I begged.
A tear spilled, running down my face. Raffaele shook his head. “Don’t cry, I’m not going to hurt you, it’s going to be a painless process, I’m not a… monster.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, my eyes glistening. I knew he was just trying to play mind games with me. He reached into the pocket in his blazer. “This isn’t going to hurt, I promise.” He wiped my tears with the pad of his thumb.
He retrieved a syringe and then turned around to aspirate a fluid from a bottle.
“Please, no…” I mumbled. I began to jerk, ignoring the pain. The rickety chair squeaked, threatening to give way.
“Stay put!” he ordered and drove the needle into my neck. My movements became more lethargic with each passing second as darkness clogged my vision.