Owned by the mafia boss

MICHAEL

I slammed the brakes and wedged open the door, leaving Vitale as I sprinted the bowl-shaped park. Pink leaves scattered the ground. A girl in a yellow T-shirt played in the sandbox. Everything was blue and green. Bright and happy. The world spun in a haze of children’s laughter and the groan of swings as I screamed for my kids.

“Mariette!”

It was like shouting into wind. I couldn’t hear myself. Only the rawness in my throat registered.

“Matteo!”

At the sound of my voice, Matteo always streaked from wherever and collided with my knees, but there was no pitter-patter of feet.

I tore through the playground like a tornado. My gaze swept the lawn. I’d told Mariette to hide. That was probably what she was doing, but Carmela’s phone battery died one minute into the call.

They had to be safe.

A flash of gold grabbed my attention to the branch of a gigantic pine. I stared at the gap in twigs. Blonde hair peeked from the thicket of needles. I approached the group of trees and crouched. Two pairs of eyes gleamed. I parted the branches, and a body flew into my arms.

I crushed my son with a giant hug, my insides collapsing. He pressed his tear-stained face into my neck and sobbed. My daughter crawled out from the tree, tears streaming down her chin. I grabbed her and yanked her into my chest.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head.

“Did he hurt you?” I patted her stomach, her jeans, rolling over something hard and small. “What is that?”

“The bad man gave it to me.”

I pulled out a bullet.

A rock swelled in my throat. It was like barbed wire cinching my heart. I clenched it in my fist, trembling. I found another in Matteo’s shirt pocket.

He’d touched my kids.

A red glaze coated my vision as I hiked Matteo to my hip.

“Crash took Carmela, Daddy.” Mariette’s lip trembled. “Is she coming back?”

“Yes, honey. I’ll find her.”

The bullets clinked. I pocketed them.

I’d save them for his skull.

Crash had seen his last sunrise.

I COULDN’T RUN after him.

No matter how much I wanted to look for Carmela. I had to double security around my house, wait for my sister to come over, and then I could leave. Vinn had already put the word out, but since Rage Machine didn’t wear identifying colors and its member list was unknown, nobody knew where to search.

Matteo wouldn’t be consoled. I balled him against my chest and covered his ears, hissing obscenities through the phone.

“Make the judge sign a subpoena. Throttle him if you have to. We need his license plate. I don’t fucking care! Do it, or I’ll get you another reason to hate me.”

Once I ended the call, there was nothing but Matteo’s soft crying. The full weight of Carmela’s kidnapping slammed into me. She’d sacrificed herself to spare them from that psychopath, who’d played me like an idiot. He’d scheduled that meeting, knowing I’d be distracted, and then he’d waltzed into the playground. Where was the soldier supposed to be watching her? Out buying a coffee. I’d have him killed.

Crash had undone the stitching of my life and ripped my soul in half. The visual of his hand on her shoulder tormented me. The pain radiated to my teeth.

I had to save my wife before he murdered her.

That had to be part of his end game. A man who called himself Crash didn’t care about anyone. His ego wouldn’t be able to handle that she’d chosen me. He’d torture her, and then he’d kill the woman I loved.

No.

I had to find her.

I couldn’t live without her.

A chime echoed throughout the house, and I sprinted to the entryway. Liana. Fucking finally. I put down Matteo, who clung to my slacks. Tearing him off me was the hardest thing in the world. His screaming stabbed at me.

“Matteo, what’s wrong?” She stepped through, her widened gaze filled with questions as she gathered Matteo in her arms. “Is he okay?”

“Carmela was kidnapped.”

“What?”

“I don’t have time for this. Vitale will drive you to a hotel. You’ll stay with the kids. Do not step a foot outside. Understand?”

“Okay, okay,” she whispered. “But-”

“I have to go after her.” I grabbed my keys. “Be safe.”

“I’ll watch them. Don’t worry.”

“If anything happens, take Mom and leave town. Ask Vinn for help.”

Liana’s eyes beaded with tears as she gripped my shoulders. “Please don’t do whatever it is you’re planning.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“I have to.”

“Your kids need you!”

I wouldn’t accept that advice.

I ripped out of her hands and headed out the door.

“Michael, I love you! Be careful!”

Outside, my cousin lounged beside the gate, phone mashed against his ear. Vinn ended his call, his stony face carved with a grim frown.

“She’ll be all right.”

Useless words, but I clung to them.

I started the car.

“Everybody is on this, Mike. We’ll find her and Anthony. Let’s head to Legion.”

“We’re past the point of negotiations.”

“Oh, I don’t plan on talking.” Vinn’s nudged the duffel bag in the passenger side. He unzipped it and slid an H&K MP5 from the black depths. “There’s a suppressor and a folding stock.”

“You want to shoot up the clubhouse?”

“Crash has been a problem for years. Now he’s broken off with that sock-puppet club and Legion does nothing but sit on their ass. The city is in an uproar with bombings, dead civilians, and now he’s taken your wife. I’m sending them a message. If they don’t put down their rabid dog, I’ll be back with more guns.”

“Fine by me. I’ll drive.”

A heavy silence blanketed the car as I drove in the clubhouse’s direction. Vinn screwed on the suppressor and armed the H&K, balancing it over his thigh. Once we approached the strip mall, Vinn rolled down the window.

“We’ll do a couple passes.”

I flipped the turn signal. “Make sure you get their fucking bikes.”