40. Dante

40

"What the fuck is going on over there, Dante?" Dad questions, his voice angry. "Amerigo says that the boys have lost control and fucking about with some cult society."

How the fuck did Amerigo learn about that?

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, Dante. I know about the Nexus. Amerigo had you boys tailed."

Fuck.

That's not good, but it doesn't mean anything.

"We're simply getting close to her so that?—"

"It's too late, Dante. Amerigo is sending someone to kidnap Camila and hold her to ransom."

"What?" I growl, panic coiling through me. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"He needs information and is fed up with waiting for it."

I grind my teeth. Of course, Amerigo didn't trust Ren and Elio with this—not after weeks of no intel. Elio tried all of Camila's devices the day she was forced to move in with us, and there was nothing on them. I think all of us fear the same thing, even if none of us have voiced it. Camila knows nothing. She's no use to the Barone family as a spy but as collateral?

"When are they taking her?" I demand.

"Can't be sure. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

"Thanks. I need to go." I end the call, marching toward our apartment building on a mission. It's the longest five minutes of my life, wondering if I'll find her there. My heart skips a beat when I enter the apartment.

It's too quiet. Way too fucking quiet. I check Elio's room, where Camila's stuff is, and my stomach drops. It's all gone. Every last fucking thing.

But then it hits me. Amerigo's man wouldn't have let her pack. No fucking way. She must have left on her own.

I pull out my phone and call Elio. He picks up on the second ring.

"What?" he snaps.

"Camila's gone," I say, my voice tight. "All her stuff is gone too."

"What the fuck do you mean, gone?" Elio demands.

"I mean, she's not fucking here. And neither is any of her shit."

There's a pause. I can practically hear the gears turning in Elio's head.

"Fuck," he finally says. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," I mutter.

"Where's Renzo?" Elio asks.

"How the fuck should I know? Probably off torturing small animals or some shit."

Elio ignores my jab. "We need to find her. Now."

"You don't say," I quip. "But there's more. Dad called. Amerigo knows about you two kidnapping her. He's sending someone to take her and hold her for ransom."

"Motherfucker," Elio hisses. "Okay, listen. I'm on my way back now. Don't do anything until I get there, understand?"

"Yeah, I got it," I say.

I pace up and down the apartment, my mind racing. Camila's gone. Vanished without a trace. And now Amerigo's sending someone to take her, to use her as a fucking bargaining chip.

I may not know Camila as well as Ren and Elio, but I can't deny my odd protectiveness toward her. There's just something about her, something that draws me in. I want her so fucking bad. The sounds of her moans, the way she begged for more... it's been haunting me ever since.

She's perfect. That's the only way to describe her. She survived Ren's brand of crazy, and from the sounds of it, she loved every fucking second of it. Not many girls can handle Renzo when he gets like that. But Camila? She thrived on it.

And now she's out there, alone and vulnerable. The thought makes my stomach twist. I know what Amerigo's men are capable of. They won't hesitate to hurt her, to use her in whatever way they see fit.

I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. Camila's ours, whether she knows it or not. And I'll be damned if I let anyone else lay a finger on her.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see a text from Elio.

"On my way. Don't do anything stupid."

I snort. Stupid isn't in my vocabulary. My dad always taught me to remain calm and collected. It's him or Ren who will do something stupid.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the rage and fear coursing through me. We'll find her—we have to—and when we do, I will make sure she never leaves our sight again.

Glancing at my cell phone, I realize I need to call Ren as we need him. This is the kind of thing that Ren excels at. Hunting. Tracking.

The phone rings twice before Ren picks up. "What's up?" he asks, his voice casual.

"Camila's gone," I say, cutting straight to the chase. "All her stuff is gone too."

There's a pause, followed by a dangerous chuckle from Ren. "Oh, is she now?" he purrs, his voice taking on that edge that always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

"Yeah," I confirm. "And there's more. Amerigo knows about you and Elio kidnapping her. He's sending someone to take her, hold her for ransom."

"Is that so?" Ren muses, sounding more intrigued than concerned. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"

"No, we fucking can't," I agree. "Elio's on his way back now. We need to find her before Amerigo's men do."

"Oh, don't worry, Dante," Ren says, his voice dripping with dark promise. "I'll find her. And when I do, I'll ensure she never even thinks about running away again."

I swallow hard, knowing exactly what Ren means by that. "Just... don't do anything too crazy, okay?" I say, even though I know it's pointless.

He laughs, the sound sending a chill down my spine. "Oh, Dante," he sighs. "You know me. Crazy is what I do best."

"Yeah, I know," I mutter. "Just get here as soon as you can, alright?"

"I'm on my way," Ren assures me. "Knives sharp and ready."

He hangs up before I can respond, and I let out a heavy sigh. Ren's involvement complicates things, but I can't deny that we need him. He's the best tracker I know; if anyone can find Camila, it's him.

I just hope he doesn't go too far when he does.

The door swings open, and Elio walks in with wild eyes. "Did you contact Ren?" he demands.

I nod. "Yeah, Ren's on his way. He didn't sound very concerned."

"That's because he's a fucking child and thinks everything is a game," Elio retorts.

I nod in agreement with Elio's assessment. He typically treats everything like a game, even when the stakes are this high.

Ren strides in through the door, a cocky grin on his face. "Well, well, well," he drawls, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Looks like our little bookworm has gone and gotten herself lost."

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to wipe that smirk off his face. "This isn't a joke," Elio growls. "Father's men are after her. We need to find her before they do."

Ren's grin only widens. "Oh, I know," he says. "And we will. We need to get going. Time's a-wasting, boys."

Elio and I exchange a glance, both of us knowing that he's right even if he is a psycho. And we both know this is what he does in the face of chaos. He gets scarily calm, which just throws everyone off balance.

"Alright," Elio says, his voice tight with tension. "Let's go. Ren, you drive." He throws him the keys to the Mercedes.

Ren mock-salutes his brother, that infuriating grin still plastered on his face. "Aye, aye, captain."

Walking toward the car, I can't shake the feeling of dread settling in my stomach. Camila's out there, alone and vulnerable, and the thought of Amerigo's men getting their hands on her makes my blood run cold.

We have to find her and bring her back. And when we do, I'll make sure she never leaves our sight again.

I climb into the back seat of Elio's car, my mind racing with possibilities. Where could she have gone? How far could she have gotten?

Elio starts the engine, his jaw clenched tight. I can see the tension radiating from him, the barely contained rage simmering beneath the surface.

"We'll find her," I say, my voice low and intense. "We have to."

Elio nods, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Damn right, we will," he growls. "And when we do, I will ensure she never even thinks about running away again."

I nod in agreement, my determination mirroring Elio's. Camila belongs to us, whether she likes it or not, and we'll do whatever it takes to bring her back home.