A scream pierces the air as the bullet leaves the chamber.
On one side of the room, eight wide eyes stare back at me.
On the other side is my family. Well, there’s Dad, Luca, Izzy and Alec. Marco left to go see if any whispers have been heard by anyone we have on the streets and to try and figure out if this has anything to do with the other organizations and we sent Jax away to his club.
Arcane is the most popular club in the city and sees a lot of different types of people. One good thing about Jax running the place is people tend to be loose lipped after a couple of drinks and if there’s anyone who knows something while there, Jax will get it out of them one way or another.
I stare blankly at the body lying at my feet. After I pulled myself together in the alley, I stormed my way back inside and rounded up all the staff members into the kitchen while Izzy had all the customers leave with the promise of us covering the bill.
This would be so much fucking easier if we were at one of our family’s restaurants, but unfortunately Alec couldn’t have predicted this shit.
But I should have.
I should have known things were too good to be true.
“Someone fucking knows something. I won’t stop until each and every one of you is riddled with bullets. Someone start fucking TALKING!” I shout and heave out a breath.
I’m barely holding it together.
This is the longest I’ve gone without knowing Robyn’s whereabouts in months.
She’s in fucking danger, and I don’t even know where to start.
It’d be a hell of a lot easier if I knew who had taken her or why, but we’re all fucking clueless, and it’s slowly killing me.
Is this how my victims feel when I drag it out slowly? Is this how they feel when I peel the skin from their bodies? Bile rises up my throat at the image of that happening to Robyn.
My angel doesn’t fucking deserve to be dragged into this shit. She’s far too pure for the darkness of this life, and I can only hope that when I get her back, she’ll still be the same Robyn she was.
“Enough. They don’t know anything son,” my father murmurs and I glare at him.
Can’t he see this is our only hope?
Can’t he see I’m teetering on the edge of insanity? If they thought I was unhinged before, they’ll have another thing coming if I don’t get my fucking wife back soon.
“He’s right, Enzo,” Luca chimes in. “We should head to the estate and start strategizing. We’re only wasting time hanging around here.”
He’s right. Of course, he’s right.
How the fuck do they expect me to think clearly when my wife is who the fuck knows where with the son of a bitch who took her?
“Fine,” I grunt and spin around, exiting the kitchen without a backwards glance.
I notice a few familiar faces standing around the main part of the restaurant, and I realize that at some point my dad or one of my brothers must have called in the cavalry and made sure the place was locked down by our men.
I make it outside and pace the sidewalk, it’s been months since that chaotic feeling has stirred in my veins, and it’s never been this bad.
I feel like I’m drowning in a never-ending body of water while also having my whole body being lit on fire.
My chest aches as I recall this morning, having Robyn in my arms in our bed, her saying yes to marrying me, her arms wrapping around me, her lips colliding with mine.
Jesus, fuck. I’m so fucking sorry, angel. Please be okay.
“Hey,” Izzy’s murmur gives me something to focus on as I turn and look down at her. She reaches a tentative arm towards me as though I’ll snap at any moment and it lands on my chest, centering me, focusing me.
I can’t lose my shit. If I lose my shit, then I’ll lose Robyn. I need to bring her home, and I can’t do that if I’ve gone off the rails.
“We’re gonna take the SUV back to the estate, you coming?”
I nod and move to follow her, the lump in my throat that threatens to choke me renders me unable to speak and I swallow past it as we all climb into the vehicle.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask as Luca pulls away from the curb, noticing that Alec is next to him in the passenger seat and it’s only me and Izzy in the back.
“He’s fixing the shit at the restaurant; he’ll be right behind us.”
I nod uselessly and tip my head back, taking in deep breaths.
“We’ll get them back,” Luca says and the certainty in his tone calms me a little, until I realize I may get them back physically, but who the hell knows how this shit will affect Robyn, and why the hell would she stick around a family that let her get kidnapped right from under them after promising to protect her?
“I need them to be okay,” I say, my raspy voice barely a whisper, though still loud enough to be heard since Luca clearly hears me.
“They’ll be okay. Robyn’s strong. If she’s dealt with your psycho ass for this long, I’m pretty sure that woman can handle anything. She’s a fucking Romano, and so are we, we’ll get them back and rain down hell on whoever thought they could take one of our own without consequences. You’ll get your girl, and before we know it there’ll be a little unhinged Enzo running around.”
“I can’t believe she’s pregnant, and that you didn’t fucking tell us,” Izzy adds.
“We wanted to wait a while, she’s three months along and we just wanted to enjoy it together for a while,” I say weakly.
Izzy grabs my hand and squeezes, giving me that silent support that I desperately need.
“Uhh, I know you just got married and shit, and I don’t know your girl well, but is there any chance that she took off and left the watch so we wouldn’t find her?” Alec asks and my fingers twitch, wanting to reach for my gun.
Izzy’s hand tightens around mine as though she knows exactly where my thoughts were headed.
“There’s no way. You haven’t seen them together much. That girl is as crazy as he is, even though she may not seem like it. Trust me, she wouldn’t leave unless it’s against her own free will,” Luca says and I let out a breath, thankful he sees things the way I do and that I don’t have to fight my family on it.
“Okay.” Alec turns in his seat to face me. “I’m sorry for saying that, man. I’m just trying to see this from every perspective. You don’t get as far as I have without doubting every little thing, and I just had to ask. You have my entire company behind you to get her back, all you gotta do is say the word and I’ll send out an alert.”
I get where he’s coming from, but that doesn’t stop the frustration from bubbling up inside me. I take a second to calm myself, before answering him.
“I know, thank you. Let’s just get to the estate so we can figure who the fuck thought they could take my wife and baby away from me. If this city thought I was crazy before, they’ll see nothing but my demons when I burn it to the fucking ground if I don’t find her.”
