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She trembles against me. “What if she’s hurt, or scared? She’s just a child, Mikhail!”
“I know. But she’s a Genovese. She’s strong, like her mother.” I stroke Caterina’s hair, wishing I could comfort her properly. But until Emiliana’s safe, nothing else matters.
“I should never have let this happen,” Caterina whispers. “The teacher should have called us at recess. I should never have sent her to that snooty school.”
“Hey.” I cup her chin. “This isn’t your fault. But we’ll find who’s responsible and make them pay. Do you understand?”
She meets my gaze, green eyes shining with tears. But behind the fear, I see steel. She nods.
“Good.” I squeeze her shoulder. “Now let’s go get our daughter back.”
The atmosphere in the conference room is tense, everyone exchanging concerned glances and hushed whispers.
Ivan and Sergei hover near the window, faces grim. Vanya sits quietly in the corner, worry lines etched on her forehead.
“Any news?” I ask Ivan.
He shakes his head. “We’ve got all our men searching. If she’s in the city, we’ll find her.”
I clench my jaw. It’s not enough. I want to be out there myself, tearing the city apart brick by brick if I have to. But I need to be here for Caterina right now.
She sits next to me, hands clasped tightly in her lap. I put my arm around her, drawing her close. She leans her head on my shoulder and I feel the faint tremble in her body.
“We’ll get her back, Bunny,” I murmur, using the old nickname. “I swear to you, we’ll bring our little girl home.”
Caterina looks up at me, eyes glistening. In that moment, I want nothing more than to crush her fears and make her feel safe again.
“Walk us through what happened, Caterina,” Ivan says gently. “Don’t leave anything out.”
She nods, wiping at her eyes. “I dropped her off at assembly this morning, like always. But when I went to pick her up, the teacher said she never arrived after recess.”
Her voice breaks and she pauses to collect herself. I rub her back soothingly.
“The teacher checked in the infirmary, but before she could reach out to me, some kids told her that Emiliana went home and was unwell. She thought maybe Emiliana got the flu and I forgot to call. That was the last anyone saw of her.”
“Did you try calling your father?” Ivan asks.
Caterina’s face twists. “He knows nothing.”
“Did anyone see her playing at recess?” Vanya asks.
Caterina shakes her head. “None of her friends did, but some other kids claim to have seen her. It doesn’t seem likely. Emiliana never plays alone.”
My jaw tightens. This has the markings of a professional job, carefully planned in advance, putting forth rumors among the little ones to shake off the trail. But why take Emiliana? What’s the endgame here?
I exchange a look with Ivan. We’re both thinking the same thing. This has something to do with her father. His enemies, probably.
None of ours would take Emiliana.
But right now, it doesn’t matter who’s responsible. All that matters is getting her back.
I take Caterina’s hands in both of mine. “We’ll find her,” I vow. “I give you my word.”
I nod to Ivan, who begins assigning search areas to each brother.
“Sergei, take your men and scour the docks. Vanya, check with the mothers of all the kids at school. Perhaps Emiliana is at someone’s house.”
Ivan turns to me. “The nanny’s apartment. See if you can pick up a trail.”
