Page 35 of Death By Chocolate

The last thing I feel is cold air on my face as they carry me out of The Governor. My home. My fortress. Now just another place whereI wasn't safe.

I'm sorry, Xeno, I think as consciousness slips away. You were right about the machines. But you were wrong about love being enough to save me.

17

XENO

THE HUNT

Iwake to chaos.

"—been five hours with no contact—"

"—no trace on the security cameras—"

"—House is completely locked out of the system—"

"—someone had inside access—"

The voices swirl around me like smoke, gradually resolving into familiar tones. My brother's face swims into focus first, then Corso and Silvio hovering nearby. The clinic room spins as I push myself up, fighting against the lingering effects of the tranquilizers.

"Where's Dani?" The words scrape my dry throat raw. My tongue feels like sandpaper, and my muscles protest every movement, but none of that matters.

The silence that follows tells me something is very wrong. “Where is she?”

“Dani was taken,” Youric says, his expression dire. “Kidnapped while we were sorting this out.”

"Fuck. I “need my phone.” When no one moves, I roar. “Now.”

“I’m on it,” Corso nods. “I’ll have someone bring it here.”

I ignore the way my hands shake. The tranqs have left me weak, but the tracking app installed on my phone will point us in a direction if not an exact location.

“I can locate her."

"What?" Silvio leans in, his professional mask cracking to show genuine surprise. "How?"

“Yourice injected her with a tracker last night during her follow-up visit.” At their looks of disbelief and judgment, I bare my teeth in what might be a smile or a snarl. "Don't fucking judge me. I promised her she would be safe with me. Woman's got a man who shot her after her, and now, he has her in his grasp. Fuck. Where’s my phone.”

Some non-descript man enters. “The phone you requested, sir.”

Once it's in reach I snatch it, unlocking it with my six-digit PIN. The time it takes the app to open seems to drag. A red dot pulses on the screen, steady and sure. My brother leans over my shoulder, his breath catching. "Alaska? What the hell—"

"Coordinates put her somewhere near Anchorage," I say, already calculating flight times and weapons we'll need. "Moving fast—probably a private jet."

Silvio curses softly in Italian. "How did they get her out? The Governor's security—"

"Was compromised," Corso cuts in. "Rhys helped them. He's gone dark, along with that nurse."

The betrayal doesn't surprise me—I've never trusted Dani's team the way she does. Did. But the sophistication of the operation sends ice through my veins that has nothing to do with the lingering tranquilizers.

The door bursts open with enough force to crack the wall. Cookie stands there, her usual impeccable appearance, fuck-with-me at your own risk persona. Her tactical gear is state ofthe art, her wild curls are contained in a severe bun. I've never seen her this ready for battle—the sight sends fresh adrenaline flooding my system.

"I know where they're taking her." Her voice is tight with controlled panic. "It's not good."

I swing my legs off the bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness. "Talk."

“Omar’s compound outside Anchorage. They took her home.” She meets my eyes, and I see real fear there. "Her father's involved. Luis and the elder Dominguez, Javier, are business partners. Dani was a gift to Oscar and Omar in exchange for Luis’s security in the Dominguez organization.”

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