Dante..!!
The man had been in the shadows for too long and quietly making his moves..
And if anyone was ambitious enough to start taking over the underworld’s major factions..
Then it was just him..
Rowan’s jaw clenched at the thought..
He had ignored Dante’s warning when Dante had followed him in Venice during Amara’s brother Leo’s wedding..
It seemed like a vague threat at the time, he easily dismissed amid the chaos of their dealings.
And he had been too busy to even care about it..
But now, it was all coming back with chilling clarity.
Dante wasn’t obviously acting on his own.
He was working for someone.. but who??
Rowan’s thoughts darkened as he turned to Kyle.
Kyle noticed his gaze on him and looked at him..
Rowan spoke first, his voice low and grave, “Do you remember Dante?”
Kyle blinked, momentarily thrown by the sudden question. He furrowed his brow, trying to recall. “Dante?” he echoed, shaking his head.
Rowan tapped his finger on the edge of the table, the sound sharp in the tense silence. “The one who followed us in Venice,” he clarified, his eyes darkening as he spoke of him.
Kyle’s face changed as recognition dawned on him.
He nodded quickly, his movements abrupt. “I remember now. What about him?”
Harvey, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward. His voice was heavy with concern as he asked, “Are you saying he’s behind this, big brother?”
Rowan’s eyes flickered with a dangerous certainty. “It’s possible. He’s with outsiders, and they’re bold enough to try something like this. They’ve been making moves, testing the waters. I should’ve taken his threat more seriously.”
The weight of Rowan’s words settled like a fog in the room.
Amara and Lucas exchanged a glance, confusion etched on their faces.
Amara broke the silence as she looked at Rowan. “Who are you talking about?”
Rowan turned toward her, and he reached for her hand, his rough fingers intertwining with hers.
Amara stared at their joined hands, a strange calm washing over her despite the storm of emotions raging inside.
His grip was firm, reassuring, as though he could anchor her to sanity amid the chaos.
“Dante,” Rowan began, his voice low, “He is part of the Italian mafia.”
Amara stiffened, her pulse quickening as the words sank in.
The mention of the Italian mafia sent a chill through her body.
Why would they target Vaughn?
What possible reason could they have to come after her son?
Rowan saw the fear flicker in her eyes.. He tightened his grip slightly in order to silently reassure her before turning his attention back to Kyle.
“I need you to find out who Dante’s working for. I want a name, and I want a meeting with his boss.”
Kyle nodded, already moving toward the door, his phone in hand.
He didn’t need to be told twice.
There was no time to waste.
As Kyle left the room, Rowan’s gaze shifted back to Amara, who looked like she was trying to hold herself together.
He reached out with his other hand, gently brushing her cheek with his thumb. “I will find Vaughn, Amara,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers. “And trust me, I’ll bring him back safe.”
Amara nodded, though her chest was tight with a restless dread.
She wanted to believe him, but every second that passed felt like an eternity.
Her mind spun with terrifying possibilities and each felt more unbearable than the last.
Outside, Kyle’s phone was pressed tightly to his ear as he made one call after another.
His usual calm was replaced by a sense of urgency, his jaw clenched as each call led to dead ends, vague answers, or complete silence.
He didn’t stop, though.
He couldn’t.
Not with the weight of Rowan’s orders hanging over him. Time felt like it was slipping through his fingers, and Vaughn’s life might depend on how quickly he could get a lead.
His phone buzzed as he dialed another number, a contact deep in the underworld who owed him more than a few favors.
Kyle was relentless, as he pressed for information, peeling back the layers of secrecy that surrounded Dante’s activities.
Finally, after what felt like hours of back-and-forth, a name slipped from the other end of the line.
“Bianca Gallo,” the voice said, hushed, as if merely speaking her name was dangerous.
Kyle paused, the weight of the revelation hitting him like a blow.
Bianca Gallo.
The name rang a bell, but the context sent a cold wave through him.
She wasn’t just anyone.. she was a shadowy figure who had been pulling strings behind the scenes, rumored to be the true power behind many of the recent upheavals in the criminal world.
If Dante was working for her, then this situation was far worse than they had imagined.
He ended the call and took a breath, trying to steady his nerves.
He had the name.
And now came the hard part.. setting up a meeting with someone as untouchable as Bianca Gallo..
Kyle re-entered the room, his face grim, his phone still in hand.
Rowan looked up immediately, sensing that his assistant had found something.
“What happend?” Rowan’s voice was sharp, as he asked.
Kyle nodded, his face serious. “I’ve got a name. Dante’s working for someone named Bianca Gallo.”
Rowan’s eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information.
He had heard of Bianca, of course, but her involvement with Dante made things even more complicated.
She wasn’t just an underworld player..
She was someone who liked to keep her hands clean while orchestrating chaos from the shadows.
Kyle continued, “I’m already working on setting up a meeting, but it won’t be easy. She’s not someone who meets just anyone.”
Rowan’s jaw tightened, his mind already racing ahead. “I don’t care how hard it is. Make it happen,” he ordered, his voice cold as ice.
Kyle nodded and turned to leave, but Rowan’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “And Kyle,” Rowan added, his tone softer yet dangerous, “Make sure nothing goes wrong. No surprises.”
Kyle met his gaze and gave a slight nod before stepping out of room again, as he dialed the number and arranged what needed to be done.
Back in the living room, Amara could feel the tension mounting.
Rowan’s cold, calculating demeanor had returned, and the darkness in his eyes seemed to have deepened with the mention of Bianca.
“Who is she?” Amara asked, her voice quieter than she intended.
Rowan turned to her, his expression unreadable. “Bianca Gallo is the real power behind the Italian mafia, or at least one of the major factions. She’s been making moves lately, but she’s always stayed in the background. She’s dangerous, Amara. Far more dangerous than Dante.”
Amara’s heart pounded in her chest.
The more she learned, the worse this situation seemed.
She tried to process what this meant.. her son caught in the middle of a mafia power struggle, his life being used as a pawn in some unseen game.
And this thought made her sick.
Rowan sensed her growing unease. “I’ll deal with her. You just need to trust me,” he said, his voice steady but fierce.
Amara nodded, but her mind was a swirl of fear and uncertainty.
The mafia, power struggles, kidnappings.. it was all too much.
But there was no turning back now.
Vaughn was out there, somewhere, and Rowan was her only hope of bringing him back.
And she would hold onto that hope, no matter how dark things became.