23. Emilio

Chapter 23

Emilio

His Isa

“ S top pacing,” Maddox grumbled out to Oliver.

Emilio looked up from his computer as he flipped through the security cameras of the town. He had a team of men scouring for sight of Isa too, but he didn’t trust others to find her.

He would recognize her even if her face was covered, even if only parts of her were visible.

Emilio reached into his pocket, clenching the ring in it.

The tracker in her wedding band was working, except she had taken it off.

He would need to fix that feature soon. The ability to remove it made it practically useless in his mind. Just as ineffective as Maddox and Oliver tracking her phone. The device had been found only a bit further on their search, on the street in front of their house.

“I need to tell you both something, I was giving Yara time to do so, but then she was taken.” Emilio didn’t look up from the screen as the two men squabbled amongst each other. While they were seemingly useless at this moment, he knew when the time came, they would risk their lives for their girl.

Because, after all, she was all of theirs. They would all do anything for Isa.

She was more important to each of them than anything else. It was the only reason this “relationship” was going to work. It was why Emilio allowed them in her orbit.

Sometimes, like now, he would need help to keep her safe, and he couldn’t trust just anyone to the task.

“What?” Oliver seethed the word, stomping to just on the other side of the computer screens.

Grima .

Emilio ignored him, hoping one day to grow accustomed to Oliver’s grating voice. Or perhaps it was the trauma. That the first time he had truly heard Oliver’s voice was after those men had killed his sister.

He would not let the same fate befall his Isa. He would not fail her.

Smothering the anguish that squeezed his lungs, he refocused on the task at hand, clicking to shift a specific camera for another angle at the street. He had just seen a plate-less van drive by in the image. It was approximately two hours ago, so the lead might be cold, but it was a start nonetheless.

“As I told you, I sent one of my men to watch over Yara, and I also secured my spot as head of her security in order to have access to her database.”

“We know,” Maddox confirmed in his calming voice.

Emilio hadn’t quite gotten a read on Maddox, but he had witnessed his devotion to Isa. How comfortable he had made her when she was in distress. How he had resolved the issue with the idiotic Oliver. And that was what was important. Keeping Isa happy.

“Recently I sent another to help combat a stalker that had set his sights on her. In the meantime, she met a man through her dating site. At first, I didn’t think too much of it, but then I realized there was an odd familiarity to the man. And then I discovered what my men, what Kazi and Mateo, were hiding from me.” His men thought he wouldn’t be happy with Yara’s choice in a lover, they were afraid Emilio might lash out, might hurt their girl.

They were wrong.

In fact, he was very pleased with who they had found in California.

Emilio clicked through the images, finally finding what he was looking for.

A man being shoved into the building. His eyes staring directly at the camera.

Now that he knew the connections to everyone, it was easier to find a trail.

The captive's familiar sage green eyes; his Bella Isa's eyes. They didn't even need to be on her face for Emilio to recognize them.

“Spit it out.”

Emilio read a message from Logan before sending one off to Kazi and Mateo.

LOGAN: FOUND YARA’S ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE AS REQUESTED - FATHER LISTED AS STEPHEN WICK - ASSUMED DEAD - HERE IS PHOTO

Just as Emilio had suspected. The photo Logan sent was unmistakably that of Steve Landon. They were one in the same.

It was all coming together now.

Proof.

Emilio finally gave his attention to the men, standing up from the desk and walking around it.

Emilio wasn’t exactly sure how to say it. “In California, Yara became entangled with a man. His name is James, and he’s Isa’s biological dad.”

He didn’t pause for a reaction, securing his gun and handing one to each of the men .

Oliver’s mouth was open in shock as he took the weapon, but Maddox’s brow was furrowed as if it made sense to him. He stepped around the men. There was no time to spare.

“And Isa’s step-dad? Steve Landon?” Emilio cast over his shoulder, divulging the news his second in command, Logan, had just informed him of. “That would be Yara’s bio father.”

He didn’t want to think what that meant for his Isa, how she wouldn’t be his target, but how she could easily be his collateral.

Just as he didn’t want to think about how Christian York was angry, alone, and on a rampage for his revenge .