23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Gabo Godoy

T he global merchandise company decided to have the new warehouses inaugurated on the twenty-sixth of the month. I had a plan crafted to attend the event in the morning and then fly to Geneva right after the press conference. It'd be tight but not impossible. After all, only an hour and a half flight separates Gothenburg from Geneva in my jet.

What I wasn't counting on was my jet being grounded due to bad weather. Yes, this morning's flight was a little rocky, but we made it to Gothenburg safely. I've been trying to talk to the people at the Civil Aviation Association, but they won't override the rules for me, even though I had been beyond generous with my offer.

Bella drove to Geneva yesterday despite me telling her I'd happily rent a jet so she could sit comfortably on a quick flight instead of a seven-hour drive in her old Bug.

"G, you know I've never driven in northern Italy. Why would I take a plane when I can drive and sightsee?" she asked when I brought up the jet.

"Principessa, we'll have time to do all the roadtrips you want. Why don't you take me up on my offer, please? I want you to be safe," I pleaded with her, not really knowing why it was so important for me to have her fly rather than drive.

"I'll be safe. Aldo and Rocco will be following me the entire time, remember? Besides, when you and I go on a roadtrip you know the last thing I'll be paying attention to is what's outside our car," she said as she kissed me. My resolve vanished once I had her in my arms. She'll always win.

Bella's gala is in one hour, and I'm still stuck in Sweden. And to make matters worse, I haven't been able to reach her since I told her my jet was grounded.

Is she mad? Why do I have a sinking feeling in my gut?

"Any luck contacting Rocco and Aldo?" I ask Mario, who came with me on this trip. The fact that he's not meeting my gaze is all the confirmation I need to know that something bad happened; I can feel it.

I heave a deep sigh while I pace the hotel room. I'm not sure where else to look or who to call.

Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in my head. "Dom," I whisper as I take my phone out to call one of my best friends and business partners.

"Dom, where are you?"

"Hello to you too, man. I'm in the office. Why?"

"I need you to take a couple of the security guys and go to Geneva. Take the same route Bella took with Aldo and Rocco. None of them are picking up the phone, and I'm stuck in Gothenburg."

"Fuck. What does Mario say?" Dom asks, and I can sense from his stern voice that he's taking this seriously, too. This shit has never happened in the time we've worked with Mario's security company.

"He's been on the phone for a while, but he hasn't said a word. I'm beside myself," I say in an exasperated tone.

"Okay, let me see who's available here besides Luigi to come with me. I'll call you as soon as we have something."

"Thanks, man. I owe you big." I disconnect the call and take a big swig of my whiskey. I've been drinking since I learned there's no way I can make it to Geneva on time. It's not how I usually handle stress, but I need to calm down if I want to think about an effective solution to this mess.

Starting to get more and more impatient with Mario's inability to get answers, I stand up and walk to the large window. This is the perfect storm: shitty weather and zero communication with my Bella.

Where is she?

Scratching the back of my head, I pace back and forth, straining to hear what Mario is saying and who he's talking to.

When he finally hangs up, he looks at me and says, "Something's wrong."

"No shit, Sherlock. What the fuck is going on?" I ask him.

"Aldo and Rocco can't be reached. Their last location is the hotel where Miss Bianchi is staying. We contacted the hotel, and they said their security feed has been deleted. They're working on figuring out what happened."

"What? This sounds like a plot out of a movie," I say, scratching my jaw in disbelief.

"I sent a crew in another jet to do recon and find any leads on their whereabouts. They'll gather information while we're en route, boss."

"Where's Bella? Is she safe?" I ask, my heart rate skyrocketing.

"We don't know, boss. The hotel management said they haven't seen her."

"Fuck," I shout, grabbing my whiskey glass and smashing it against the window.

"We'll find her, boss. We're already on it."

"Find us a way to Geneva. I can't sit here a minute longer."

Mario nods, and I head to my room to get my suitcase.

This shit can't be happening.

"Boss, I just got a text from the pilot. We've been approved for takeoff," Mario says, a big look of relief spreading across his face.

"Let's go," I say. I snatch up my suitcase and leave the hotel as fast as possible. I get into the back of the car while Mario sits in the front with the driver. I take out my phone and start typing a text. I delete it, type again, and delete it several times, not sure if it's wise, but I'm losing my mind.

Gabo : Hey, is anyone available?

A few minutes go by before my brother Vicente replies.

Vicente : Hey, bro. What's up?

Gabo : I'm still in Sweden. Just got the word we can lift off after a terrible storm. But Bella is in Geneva. I was supposed to be there to attend a gala with her.

Vicente : Aww, she's mad at you because you chose work over her?

Gabo : Fuck, I don't know. But neither she nor her security team can be reached.

Gio : What? What do you mean they can't be reached?

Gabo : Yeah, we can't find them.

Texting this to my brother and my closest friends seems surreal.

Vicente : I'm on my way.

Gio : Me too.

Luca : Fuck you, Gabo. I told you to take care of her. I can't leave Karina alone; she's due any day now.

Luca : You all better keep me posted.