Page 80 of The Bonventi Secret
I text the one person I know I'll need for this. They respond they'll be here in 30 minutes.
As I watch Gio leave with Tony to do what I asked, Marco is off in the corner yelling at his police friends about the shooting, which it sounds like they know about.
I take a moment to lean against my desk, my breath coming in short, harsh gasps. The room spins around me, the familiar contours of my office blurring into a haze of anger and fear.
I failed her. I fucking failed her.
The thought crashes through my mind like a wrecking ball, demolishing every shred of control I've fought so hard to maintain. I promised her safety. I swore to protect her. And now she's gone, snatched away by those Rossi bastards while I sat here, sulking like a fucking child.
I close my eyes, but all I can see is Livia's face. I can almost feel the softness of her skin under my fingers, the taste of her lips. Her laughter, her scent—everything.
And I just threw it all away.
My chest tightens, a vise of guilt and self-loathing squeezing the air from my lungs. I should have been there. I should have kept her close, kept her safe. Instead, I pushed her away, let my pride and anger cloud my judgment.
"Fuck!" I roar, slamming my fist into the desk. Pain shoots up my arm.
I think of the way Livia looked at me when she confessed to reading the diary. The hurt in her eyes, the tremble in her voice. She was reaching out to me, trying to understand, and what did I do? I shut her out. Punished her for daring to want to know me.
You stupid, arrogant bastard.
The memory of our fight plays on repeat in my mind. Every harsh word, every accusation. The sound of that vase shattering against the wall. The way Livia flinched, fear flashing across her face.
And now she's out there, alone and afraid, because I was too fucking stubborn to forgive her.
I push away from the desk, pacing the room like a caged animal. My eyes fall on the fragments of the whiskey decanter. It's not enough. The destruction isn't enough to match the chaos raging inside me.
I sweep my arm across the desk, sending papers and trinkets crashing to the floor. The sound of breaking glass is satisfying for a moment, but it does nothing to ease the ache in my chest.
"Zo, Zo, calm down. We'll get her. You know we'll get her, right?" Marco asks, putting the phone to his shoulder to shield his voice from the person on the other end.
"If it was me, fine. But her? Go after her?" I say.
"I know, I know. We'll get her back. Stay focused," Marco says before resuming his call.
After a few moments, Gio comes back in and looks around the room at the mess I've created.
"Jesus, Zo. Perimeter is secure. Alex is unconscious in surgery. We'll have his dashcam shortly. Also, I've put out the alert. I may have the exact location they took her in 15. We'll find her, brother."
Some time later—who the hell knows how long—my office door creaks open, and Gabriel steps in. His eyes widen as he takes in the scene before him. I watch as his gaze flicks from the destruction to Marco on the phone, to Gio's grim expression, and finally lands on me.
"What the fuck happened here?" Gabriel asks, his voice low and tense.
I clench my jaw, the muscles in my neck tightening. "Your sister's been taken," I spit out, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.
Gabriel freezes, his face draining of color. "What? How?" he asks, stepping further into the room.
"The Rossis," Gio answers for me, his tone cold and hard. "Ambushed her and Alex outside a sandwich shop. Alex is in surgery. Livia's gone."
Gabriel's eyes snap to me, a mix of accusation and fear in their depths. "I thought you said she'd be safe here," he growls.
"Hey," Gio yells, but I put up my hand to silence him.
"He has every right to be upset. It's his sister. I'll let this one slide," I say.
Gabriel nods in understanding.
"We're doing everything we can. Gio's got men watching every exit from the city. Marco's working his contacts in the police. We'll have footage from Alex's car soon, and?—"
