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Enzo stood in the doorway to my office at the Washington Heights building. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes cast down to the floor.
“You’re testing my already thin patience,” I warned.
“He’s got another gang hiding him,” he confessed.
I stood so fast my chair flew back and into the wall, followed by my left fist as I spun and sent it crashing through the drywall. “Motherfucker!” I yelled as rage built up in my chest. I should have expected this. There were other organizations in New York, though they were much smaller than the O’Reillys or us. Usually, they fell in line behind one of us, seeking our protection as well as keeping a truce. With the shift in leadership, they were watching closely, looking for weaknesses and an opening to build their power. Whoever was hiding Darby saw it as a test. They were trying to find out which family to throw their lot in with.
I clenched my fists, ignoring the ache from my injured hand, and pivoted back around. Pointing at Enzo, I stared hard at him, making it clear I wasn’t fucking around. “We discussed this on the phone, I don’t want to see you in my office again until you have Pat or Darby O’Reilly in tow. Or better yet, both. Now, get the fuck out of here and do your fucking job!” My calm gave way to the rage and I was shouting by the end.
“Yes, boss,” Enzo grunted, his eyes returning to the ground again. He turned to leave but glanced back at me for a moment, and among the fear in his eyes, there was a respect I hadn’t seen from him before.
“Daddy!” The sound of Sophia’s voice, clearly terrified, had me racing out the door of my office and down the hall. Tears streaming down her face, she barreled toward me, throwing herself into my arms as I bent to scoop her up. Her little arms wrapped around my neck, squeezing tight as she sobbed into my shirt. I placed my hand on the back of her head, holding her to me and kissing her hair. Devon was right behind her, his normally expressionless mask cracked, revealing anger and worry. I looked around for Gianna, surprised she wasn’t with Sophia, but knowing she wouldn’t be far behind.
“What the hell is going on?” I growled. Every second I didn’t see Gianna, my anxiety level shot higher.
“They took my mommy!” Sophia wailed, and panic punched me in the gut so hard I almost stumbled backwards. Hearing my baby girl call Gianna “mommy” for the first time should have been a moment to savor, as a family. Gianna had missed it. Just another reason the people who took her would die.
“Ms. Martin was abducted, sir,” Devon stated, his neutral tone of voice pissing me off. “Linc took off after the two men and called for backup, but they lost the car on the Queensboro Bridge. We’ve got our best man on the satellites and local traffic cams. He’ll find her.”
“My mother?” I asked as I rocked Sophia from side to side, tamping down my emotions to help calm her. I wanted to go after Gianna but doing so without intelligence and a plan would get me nowhere.
“One of our guys has her on her way here now, sir.”
With a lift of my chin, I indicated he should head to my office, then stalked the rest of the way down the hallway to a door marked “Personnel Only,” and punched a code in the keypad next to it. The door unlocked and I swung it open, quickly crossing to a lone desk on the far wall and slipping my hand under it to locate a small button. It wasn’t easy to find unless you knew where it was, and once I felt it, I pressed it and felt the rush of air that accompanied the wall beside me sliding open.
“Niccolo!” My mother burst into the room making a beeline for us as I stepped to the opening. She wrapped her arms around us and Sophia, whose cries had quieted, began to sob once more, breaking my heart with every tear.
The wall revealed one last door and I punched another code before putting my eye to a scanner, and at last, the door unlocked. I transferred Sophia to my mother’s arms. I loathed to let her go, but was aware it was the best thing for the time being. Opening the door, I stepped into a room that closely resembled a studio apartment. I’d had panic rooms like this built into each of my warehouses and office buildings, as well as one in my home. They locked securely from the inside, the keypad and eye scanner becoming useless until the inner security was turned off.
