175

175
Alaric’s POV
Blood still seeped through the hastily applied bandages around my torso, and every breath felt like fire scraping through my lungs, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not while Emilia was still out there, God knows where, and I was stuck here, feeling useless.
The main room was buzzing with tension as my men filtered in, some fresh-faced and ready for orders, others worn down by the constant chaos of the last few hours. Allesio hovered near the corner, his eyes darting to me with a mix of concern and frustration. I knew he wanted me to rest, but I didn’t have the luxury of time or the patience for his nagging.
“We hit every lead,” I said, my voice low but sharp enough to cut through the hum of conversation. “What did we find?”
Silence.
“Nothing?” My voice rose, the sharpness replaced with fury. “You mean to tell me that in all this time, not one of you has anything? Not one goddamned clue where they’ve taken her?”
Luca, one of my lieutenants, stepped forward. “We’re still waiting on word from a couple of contacts. Cruz’s people have gone underground. They’re not moving the way they normally do.”
“Cruz.” I spat the name like poison. “Of course, it’s him. Who else would have the balls?”
“Alaric,” Allesio interrupted, his tone quieter but no less insistent. “You’re bleeding through your shirt again. You need to sit down.”
“I need to find Emilia!” I snapped, the room going still at my outburst. “You think I can sit while she’s-” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. “While she’s out there?”
“Bleeding out isn’t going to help her,” Allesio countered, his voice hardening.
I opened my mouth to argue, but the sound of small, hesitant footsteps stopped me cold.
“Papa?”
I turned, and there she was-Francesca, her tiny frame dwarfed by the oversized sweatshirt she’d been wearing as pajamas. Her hair stuck up in wild curls, and she rubbed her sleepy eyes, clutching her stuffed rabbit tightly to her chest.
“Why are you yelling?” she asked, her voice small and uncertain.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The anger and desperation that had been driving me all night faltered as I looked at her, the innocence in her wide eyes was like a painful reminder of everything I stood to lose.
I crouched down-too fast, and the pain shot through me like a lightning bolt. I hissed but masked it quickly, forcing a smile as I held out my hand to her.
“Come here, piccola,” I said softly.
She padded over to me, her tiny hand slipping into mine. “Why are you angry?”
I glanced at Allesio, who gave me a pointed look that said ‘handle this carefully’.
“I’m not angry, sweetheart,” I lied, brushing a stray curl from her face. “I’m just… worried about Emilia. She’s not home yet.”
Francesca frowned, her grip tightening on the rabbit. “Is Mommy lost?”
I hesitated. “Something like that.”
She tilted her head, studying me with that unflinching gaze only a child could have. “Are you going to find her?”
“Yes,” I said firmly, the word leaving no room for doubt.
“Good,” she said simply, nodding as if that settled it. “Because I miss her. She makes the best pancakes.”
The corner of my mouth twitched despite everything. “She does, doesn’t she?”
Francesca nodded again, satisfied, and yawned. “Okay. But don’t yell anymore. It’s too loud.”
“I’ll try,” I promised, pulling her into a hug. She wriggled free after a moment, retreating back toward the hallway with her rabbit in tow.
Once she was gone, the silence in the room crashed down on me again. I straightened slowly, ignoring Allesio’s muttered curses about my stubbornness, and faced the men.
“Cruz’s people have her,” I said, my voice cold and steady. “I want every resource we have pointed at finding her. Shake every contact. Pay off whoever needs paying. I don’t care what it takes. We don’t stop until she’s back here.”
Luca nodded, already pulling out his phone to relay orders. The others followed suit, the room buzzing with action once more.
Allesio stepped closer to me. “You’re pushing too hard,” he said under his breath.
“She’s out there,” I said through gritted teeth.
“I know,” he said, his voice softer now. “And we’ll find her. But not if you collapse before we do.”
I didn’t answer, the lump in my throat making it impossible.
Then my phone rang.
The room went silent as I pulled it from my pocket, the blocked number flashing across the screen like a taunt. I answered, putting it on speaker.
“Castillo,” a voice drawled on the other end, low and mocking.
My hands clenched into fists. “Where is she?”
“You sound tense,” the voice continued, ignoring my demand. “Not used to being on the receiving end, are you?”
“Where the hell is she?” I repeated, my voice sharp enough to cut steel.
The man laughed, a slow, grating sound that made my blood boil. “She’s alive. For now. But Cruz doesn’t like when people stick their noses where they don’t belong.”
“What does he want?”
“Who said he wants anything?”
I exchanged a glance with Allesio, who was already motioning for one of the men to start tracing the call.
“You’re lying,” I said, keeping my voice steady even as my mind raced. “If he didn’t want something, she wouldn’t still be alive.”
Another laugh, this one colder. “Maybe Cruz just likes watching you squirm.”
The line went dead.
“Did we get anything?” I demanded, turning to the man with the laptop.
He shook his head, his face pale. “It was bounced through too many lines. I couldn’t trace it.”
I slammed my fist onto the table, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain in my side. My vision blurred with rage and frustration, and I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself.
Allesio placed a hand on my shoulder, firm but not unkind. “We’ll find her,” he said quietly.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
Instead, I turned and walked out of the room, needing air, needing space, needing HER.
The night was cold and still, the sky a deep, endless black. I stood on the balcony, gripping the railing so tightly my knuckles turned white.
“Where are you, Emilia?” I whispered, the words lost to the wind.
Francesca’s voice echoed in my mind. ‘Are you going to find her?’
Yes. No matter what it took, no matter what I had to do, I would find her. And God help the bastards who had taken her when I did.