Chapter 20: Vlad

Paul was still raging, venting his anger and disappointment as I sat there, watching him. I understood his annoyance and got the point he was driving at.

I was trying to hold in the memories of twenty-one years ago, but they wouldn't stop gnawing at my mind.

"Let's say I believe you; say I believe that you truly want to marry her." He looked at me. "Do you have what it takes to be a husband…a good father?"

Pissed at his question, I rose to my feet and stepped toward him, glaring at him as he glared back, as though he stood a chance if I chose to pick a fight. He knew that by mentioning the idea of fatherhood, he'd stirred up the rage I was struggling to keep inside.

He knew how close I'd been to my father; he knew what had transpired twenty years ago—what had led to it and how it had affected both of us. He dared question my ability to be a father?

I stood in front of him, both hands balled into fists. It was tempting to strike him in the face, but to what end? I was trying to make peace, not start a war.

He was afraid of my next move, but as a man, he tried to keep it together, tried to act brave in the face of danger.

Paul had been a good friend to me, loyal even when he didn't have to be. I respected him for that, and it was the reason I wasn't making any moves to put him in his place.

I saw things from his point of view, just like Sienna would. Paul was in pain, emotional pain, and most times, people do or say things they don't mean when they're hurting.

"What're you gonna do, hit me?" he asked, looking right into my eyes.

His courage was admirable.

I turned away from him and pinched the bridge of my nose with a soft exhale. "The deed has been done, Paul. And my mind is made. I'm marrying her."

He scoffed. "Why do you have to be so arrogant all the fucking time?"

"What do you want me to do, Paul?" I turned to him, my voice raising a bit higher than normal. "Grovel at your feet and plead for mercy?"

He was quiet, shooting a glare in my direction. Then, he finally spoke. "You don't get to do this, Vlad; you don't get to call the shots this time."

"This isn't about who's calling the shots here, Paul. It's about doing the right thing," I said.

"Oh, please don't gimme that," he replied. "The right thing would have been to stay the hell away from Sienna as I asked you to—then we wouldn't be here, trying to manage a situation that could have been avoided!" he blurted out.

"Well, now we're here, whether we like it or not. So, instead of going back and forth, I suggest we talk and get to the bottom of this."

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say." He placed his hands on his waist and turned away, facing me again seconds later. "You're not her father; you're not gonna be the one to feel the pain of her reaction when the truth comes out."

I saw fear in his eyes, and before I could utter another word, his phone rang. He put his head down for a moment in an attempt to calm himself, and with a deep sigh, he buried his hand in the pocket of his pants and withdrew the buzzing phone. "Hey, honey."

That was definitely Natalie on the other line.

I couldn't make out what she was saying, but she sounded upset—scared, maybe—and the look on Paul's face was concerning.

"Whoa, whoa, Natalie. Slow down and talk to me," he said, tense.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to understand the situation, and when he turned to me, the previous fear I saw in his eyes had now doubled, and worry was etched on his face.

"What do you mean she's been kidnapped?" His hands and lips trembled.

What? Are they talking about Sienna?

There was helplessness in his eyes, and I knew mine had to be burning red with rage.

"Put it on speaker phone," I said, and he immediately did so.

"I came back from the store, only to find that she's gone!" Natalie's troubled voice, laced with fear and anxiety, boomed through the device. "I checked the CCTV, and I saw that a masked man had broken into the house and abducted our baby girl." She wept over the phone.

While her husband was trying to console her, telling her to stay calm, I withdrew from him, raging. I was so angry that nothing would stop me from killing whoever was unfortunate enough to have taken Sienna and my unborn child. Oh, the things that I would do to them.

My bride-to-be and the child she was carrying were in harm's way, and that had me riled up with a mix of anger and worry, turning my stomach as my blood boiled. I feared for the safety of both of them, and I couldn't afford to lose them. I wasn't going to.

"Vlad." Paul's voice was low, filled with concern as he looked at me like I was his only hope. "We can't let anything happen to her and that baby." He shook his head, his breathing growing heavier by the second.

"We won't," I replied through gritted teeth. "I'll stop at nothing until we find her. I promise." I placed a palm on his shoulder. "No one will harm her or our unborn child."

He inhaled deeply, nodding in affirmation; he found comfort in my words.

I took out my phone and called Simon. "Hey, I need you to round up the men."

"How many…?"

He hadn't even finished talking when I cut him off, snapping, "All of them! Sienna's been kidnapped, and I want all hands on deck. She must be found today!"

I lowered the phone, seething silently as I sought solace in the pain I would inflict on the bastard responsible for this. They would pay with their life.

"You really do care," Paul said, watching me fume.

"She's family, Paul, and nobody messes with my family. Nobody ," I replied, clenching my fists.

One of the benefits of being a man like me was the fact that I had eyes and ears everywhere, and my empire practically owned half of the city.

I would find her, and when she was safe, I would attend to her abductor.

"Boss." Simon walked into the room with Fyodor and all the men in the compound, dozens of them for now. "What do you want us to do?"

Paul and I exchanged glances, and I could see the relief on his face; at least he was certain that something would be done about the situation. He took a few steps forward and stood beside me as I addressed my men.