Chapter 27 - Ari

After sending the waiter off to grab us a few different desserts, I waited patiently in the booth for Vivian to return. Slowly sipping my drink, I considered how beautiful she looked, and how I couldn't wait to get back home.

As nice as the dinner was, I had a few ideas of how to close out our date, eager to pour my pent-up arousal into pleasing her.

When the waiter came back with several small platters as I had asked, I thanked them, but found myself wondering if she was alright. I expected her to be back at the table before the dessert came.

Soon enough, the ice cream melted down into a syrupy mess, and I glanced down at my watch.

It made me question if something was wrong. If she was in some sort of pain or going through something I didn't know about. If she was sick, I needed to know.

When I couldn't take it anymore and the time she was gone stretched even further, I got up from the table.

My mind was racing with concern, and whether it was from instinct or paranoia, I couldn't fight the dread as it sat heavily in my gut. I was sure something was wrong.

Locating the women's washroom, I strode over and knocked my knuckle against the door. "Vivian?"

I waited but heard nothing. "You in there?"

No response.

Mind running wild with the possibilities, my skin went cold, and for a momentary flicker of time, I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to think.

But as that panic kicked my ass into high gear, I shoved the door open to find the swanky room empty. She wasn't there at all.

With concern gripping my throat like a vice, I immediately pulled out of there and looked down the hall, scanning the area for any sight of her. Every second that passed made that fear tighten even more, and it was nearly impossible to breathe.

Before I knew it, I was moving through the whole restaurant, looking for her.

A dreadful thought stung as it lingered in my mind—what if she finally left? If she got up and went out the exit door to never return.

I shoved that idea away, cursing myself for even entertaining it.

Vivian swore her loyalty to me. We were in love, and she was growing our children inside her. Everything was going so well, there was no chance she'd just throw it all away like that.

It had to be something else. Someone had to have done something to her.

With my senses completely frayed and my body full of adrenaline, I pulled my phone out and immediately dialed Lukyan's number as I went straight for the front door.

Catching the two guards, I posted outside, I couldn't temper my demanding tone. "Have you seen Vivian out here?"

They shook their heads.

"She excused herself and didn't come back to the table. Look everywhere—go!"

With curt nods, they hurried inside, leaving me to focus on the phone call as Luk picked up.

"What's going on?"

"I need you to tap into the live security footage and search it for any sign of Vivian. I can't find her, and I need to make sure nothing happened to her," I said, rushing my words out of fear of wasting even a minute.

Luk didn't hesitate as I heard him shuffling in the background. "Where?"

"Outside Dom's. Focus on the rear exit specifically," I told him, already heading back inside to find my men covering every inch of the place as Dom himself went over to question them, but they were too busy following orders to give him a proper answer.

He looked confused, but spotted me and came over, furrowing his heavy brows as he asked in a hushed tone, "What is going on, Levov? Your guys are tearing this place apart—"

"My wife is missing," I snapped, hoping he could see just how serious I was. "She got up from the table and didn't come back. Forgive me if this place is turned upside down. I have to find her."

Dom looked shocked, but he recovered, immediately filling with resolve. "My apologies. I'll have my staff do the same."

Giving him a gracious nod despite the fear gripping me tighter than ever before, I snapped back to it and continued searching alongside them, keeping my phone near my ear.

I could tell Dom and his employees were trying to maintain a level of calm throughout the place to not scare his patrons, but the longer it took, the more frantic I was becoming. Soon enough, it was evident she was nowhere to be found, and I couldn't contain my grief even as some of the customers watched me search the place up and down.

I couldn't let anything happen to my pregnant wife. She was vulnerable, and anything out of the ordinary could compromise the twins. The thought was enough to turn my stomach and quicken my steps.

For her, I was trying to keep my head level, but every passing second tested my patience. I couldn't ignore the sinking feeling that my worst nightmare was actively unfolding in front of me.

"Ari, I have something."

I perked up at the sound of Luk's voice through the phone and pressed it to my ear, aware of how hard and fast my heart was beating. "What is it?"

"A blacked-out Range Rover pulled up to the back about half an hour ago and two men stepped out. Five minutes later, they walked out carrying someone unconscious. It looked like Vivian," he said gravely. "Luckily, it's the same vehicle we've been tracking for weeks now, and they didn't bother swapping. The De Luca brothers came to collect, after all. I reached out to my guys for an approximate live location, and at least two full teams are already hunting them down. They should manage to intercept in about fifteen minutes if their course doesn't change."

Digesting his words, I could feel my entire body ringing with urgency, with desperate need to spring into action. If I didn't, I was sure I'd implode from that raw anger and adrenaline.

So that was their plan all along. It didn't have anything to do with our warehouses or trying to infiltrate our operations. They wanted her.

"I need that location," I said, gesturing for my men to follow as I headed for the door. "I want all of you there, too."

"I'm sending it to you and anyone available. I'll tell the others," he said, always good with following orders. "Don't worry, Ari. We'll get her back."

My phone vibrated in my hand as I received the message from my brother, pushing through the door and heading straight for my vehicle. "Thanks, Lukyan. Now get your ass out there. I'm going now."

With his confirmation, I ended the call, tossed the phone on my passenger seat where Vivian should've been, and I called over my shoulder at the two guards. "Follow me. We have a vehicle to intercept."

With their quick nods, they climbed into the SUV and followed as I brought my engine to life and hardly looked before pulling onto the highway.

Nothing could've prepared me for the pure agony of that drive. Of having to sit in that seat and operate the vehicle while I could only think about getting Vivian back, wondering if she was alright.

I knew I wouldn't be able to calm down until I saw her with my own eyes again—until her brothers weren't an issue anymore.

As a mercy, I'd wanted to leave them out of it. Their dad had been my target, but ever since they decided to step up to the plate, they became my problem. Because of the grave error they made in taking my wife from me, I had no intention of holding back.

Whatever it took, I was committed to doing exactly that.

So angry at the thought of anyone believing they had any chance of getting away with taking what was mine, I raced down the highway, passing whoever I needed to without care. Thankfully, we had connections in high places, and we were in enough pockets to keep the police off us.

Seeing the pinned location on my car's GPS felt like a taunt, yet a necessary one. Closing the gap in between us was the one thing I could focus on while I forced those unhelpful thoughts out of my head.

As easy as it was to get lost in wondering if she was hurt, or trying to understand what they planned to do with her, I couldn't let myself go down that slippery slope. I had to keep my shit together for Vivian and our children.

I was losing my mind without her, despite holding it all in.

We had come so far in our relationship, and the thought of her brothers trying to take that away was enough to push me over the edge.

Outside of the city, I pulled up to a hill, only to find a commotion caused by our vehicles on a side road, pinning the Range Rover in question. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't get away.

It seemed Lukyan had been right, and the interception time was bang on.

Pulling up, I didn't even turn the car off as I shoved my way out with tunnel vision locking me onto the scene ahead.

I could only hear the blood roaring in my ears as I pulled my gun out, walking through the crowd of our guys and locking them in place. Just as I did, my brothers rolled in and immediately engaged, pulling out their own weapons.

But I couldn't focus on them. Not while Dante and Elio stood there with guns pointed at Vivian.

Focused on how terrified she looked, my blood ran impossibly hot, and with Dante at the end of my pistol, I was prepared to do anything for her.

At the sight of me, Dante tightened his grip on his sister, not afraid to press his handgun against her head.

Ready to finally have it out, I called out to him, "Give me my wife back."

But he only scoffed. "You're in no position to be making demands, Aristarkh."

Though they were surrounded by our guys, the ball was in his court. He had Vivian in his grasp, and if anyone were to misstep, or if he were to decide he didn't have anything left to lose, she would go down with him.

I couldn't let that happen.