Page 92 of Daddies of the Underworld

The guards in the hallway were of little help. They’d been knocked out by some kind of gas when the video began looping, allowing whoever snuck in to bypass everyone. Enzo said he came to as the servants’ door closed. He’d hit his head on the table when he fell, which had caused the blood I’d seen. The initial thought was that he’d been struck, which would have implied another man sneaking around.

I gripped the bunny and followed all of them down the stairs and into the library. “Where would they take her?”

“To Viktor.” Matteo touched the back of my neck for one second, then reached for the secured phone on the table. “Activate everyone.”

Luca gave Dante a savage smile full of teeth that I did not understand. “Everyone?”

“All of them.” Matteo’s eyes never left mine. “Every debt. Every port contact. Every customs officer, accountant, priest, broker, thief, pilot, and murderer who has ever taken our money or feared our name. Wake them up. They swore their loyalty. I have never asked them to prove it, and they will do so right fucking now.”

Dante’s jaw flexed. “I’ll coordinate search routes.”

“You will coordinate men.” Matteo cracked the order hard enough to vibrate the air. “You will not chase ghosts.”

Dante held his stare, then gave one sharp nod.

Hours disappeared so slowly my skin crawled. I kept scratching at it like I could reach the ache and tear it out. A guard tried to guide me into a chair, and I stared at him until he backed out of the room. Every time a phone rang, I thought it would be her.

Every time it wasn’t, my hope dimmed.

Marco came in near dawn, fear stamped on his face. “You should have woke me up. I had to hear that my niece is missing from a guard.” His pale cheeks turned sallow in the overhead lights. “If Viktor took her, he’ll send proof.”

I took one step toward him. “You know that?”

Marco’s throat worked. “He’ll show she’s alive before he lets you know what he wants.” His head shifted toward the clock over the fireplace. “How long has it been?”

I hadn’t looked at the time, but Matteo rattled off the hours.

“Then he should be calling any second. He has a pattern.” My brother shifted his weight in an uneasy way that made him resemble the scarecrow Sofia had nicknamed him for.

The thought brought tears to my eyes that I forced back. I needed to focus, and crying would not help me focus.

The secured screen on Matteo’s desk chimed, and every head turned.

Marco shrank away from the screen, his hands fluttering toward his ears. “At least you didn't automatically think I was responsible.” He took a step back. “I can't be here for this. I'm sorry…”

“It's okay, Marco.” I started forward to hug him, but he shook his head and moved further away.

Matteo crossed to the computer and opened the incoming file.

A photo filled the screen.

Sofia sat on a narrow bed with her knees tucked to her chest. She wore the same pink sweater and striped tights she’d put on for our magical trip to Italy. No fairy wings, crown, or scepter, but she was alive.

I lunged toward the screen, and Luca caught my waist before I hit the desk. “She’s alive.” My fingers hovered over the image. I wanted to touch her face. I wanted to crawl through the screen and kill everyone between us. “She’s scared.”

Matteo gripped the edge of the desk. Dante leaned closer, his eyes moving over every inch of the photo. “Wait.” Dante pointed to the bed. “Look at the objects.”

What? Why? The way he stared forced my eyes away from Sofia’s face and over to the objects on the table beside her.

A metal cup. A folded napkin. Three buttons. A crust of bread. A spoon. Small, stupid things arranged in a neat row.

Luca sucked in a breath. “Memory row.”

Matteo’s head lifted. “The game.”

“What game?” I snapped.

“Observation drills.” Luca grabbed a pen. “Dante started them.”