Chapter 47 Chapter 47
NIKOLAI
I could hear the slight hum of activity in the background, the kind of quiet efficiency that only Brax could pull off, and it gave me a small measure of reassurance. But not enough.
I grabbed the office intercom. “Jules, I need teams out on every route from the accident site to the last known location of Wesley’s car. No one moves without my say. I want updates every five minutes. Go.”
“Understood, Mr. Ferro,” came the calm but firm reply over the intercom.
I ran to the window, staring out; the lights blurred together, and my stomach twisted. I could feel the tension coiling tighter with every passing second. She was out there, somewhere, and Lorenzo, that bastard, thought he could manipulate this, thought he could corner me. He’d just wait. He’d wait for me to make a mistake. I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.
“Brax, any movement on her phone? Any signals at all?” I asked, walking back toward the monitors.
“I’m checking now. There’s a faint ping near the highway, sir. Could be debris from the accident, could be someone moving her. Hard to tell at this distance,” he replied.
I clenched my jaw. Highway. That meant she was vulnerable, exposed. Every second counted. I ran my hand over my face, trying to steady myself, trying to make sure the panic didn’t leak into my voice or my orders.
“Track the ping. I want every nearby camera feed on that section of the highway. If she moves, I need eyes immediately,” I said, pacing again. “Brax, start cross-referencing every known contact Lorenzo might have with that area. I want to predict his moves before he even makes them.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve already pulled vehicle registrations, known associates, and recent patterns. We’ll have a prediction in minutes,” he replied.
I let out a breath, running my hands over my face again, and then slammed my fist onto the desk. I wanted to rip the phone from Brax’s hands, go myself, grab her, throw Lorenzo off balance, and make it clear he couldn’t touch her. But I knew better. I had to wait, plan, and strike at the exact right moment.
My phone buzzed again. Another message from Brax.
“Sir, we have Wesley. He’s alive but injured. He can’t move far, but he gave a partial description of what happened and the direction they went.” I exhaled sharply, relief and frustration mixing in my chest. “Where? I want coordinates. Now.”
Brax read them off. I memorized them, already calculating the fastest route, who could intercept, who could cover escape points, and everything. The city was a chessboard, and Lorenzo had made his move, but I’d counter every step.
“Sir, I’m deploying two drone units to cover the route and checking local surveillance for any signs of a vehicle matching Lorenzo’s. Security is moving to intercept points,” Brax said.
“Good. I don’t care if it wakes the city up. I want her safe. No mistakes,” I said, my tone clipped.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm the storm in my chest. I couldn’t lose control. Not now. Not with her life on the line.
I turned back to the monitors, watching traffic feeds, camera angles, and every street corner. My mind raced, but I forced myself to focus. I had to anticipate him, predict his next move, and get her back before he could do anything more.
Every second that passed felt like an eternity. My phone buzzed again, another ping, closer this time. My stomach tightened. She was moving. Lorenzo was moving her, but there was a chance, just a chance, that she wasn’t defenseless.
I clenched my fists, letting the anger fuel my focus. I wouldn’t let him win. I wouldn’t let her be hurt. Every move I made, every call I placed, every order I gave was calculated to get her back safely.
I called Wesley’s location into the comms. “Send extraction and medical. Keep him stable. I need his full statement once he’s able. He saw the car, he saw the route, and he’s the key to tracking them.”
“Understood, sir,” came the reply.
Lorenzo might think he had me cornered. He might think I’d panic. But he didn’t know me. And he definitely didn’t know what would happen if he underestimated what I was capable of when it came to protecting her.
Brax got the feeds up, and for the first time since the message hit my phone, I could actually see her. Isla. My Isla. Sitting there, tied up, calm as hell, watching him move around her like he owned the place. My chest tightened and my jaw went rigid, but I kept my voice low over the comms.
“Brax, zoom in. I want every angle, every move. I don’t want him touching her,” I said, my hands tightening on the edge of the desk.
“Yes, sir,” Brax replied, fingers flying over the controls. The screens shifted, cameras moving into place, feeding every inch of the warehouse into my office. The smell of fear, the tension, the threat—whatever Lorenzo thought he was doing, it didn’t matter. Not really. Not with her.
I watched her take in the space, her eyes sharp, calculating. She wasn’t panicking. She never panicked, and Lorenzo looked confident, cocky even, like he thought he had this in the bag. That look on his face, I could see it plain as day. He had no idea what he was dealing with.
“She’s reading him,” I muttered under my breath, not realizing I’d actually spoken aloud. Brax’s eyes flicked toward me, subtle, almost knowing, but I didn’t care.
“Brax, record everything. I want the full sequence,” I said, my voice low but steady. “This is important. I need to know exactly how she handled him.”
Isla
I woke up in the warehouse, the ropes biting into my wrists; the air was thick with dust and the smell of old wood and metal. My eyes adjusted slowly in the dimly lit area, scanning the room. Lorenzo was standing a few feet away, with his arms crossed, like he was already convinced this would be easy. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.
He smirked at me, leaning closer, but didn't touch me. “You know, you really shouldn’t have gotten involved with him,” he said, his voice low and controlled. He looked at me like I was fragile, like I’d crumble if he sneezed in my direction. I didn’t say anything, just tilted my head, studying him.
“I’m guessing you think this is going to be simple,” he said, pacing slowly around me. “That I have everything under control, that I’m untouchable. Am I right?”
I kept my lips pressed together, letting the silence answer him. He frowned, clearly unused to not getting a response.
“Alright then,” he said, leaning in a little closer. “Let’s make it interesting. Tell me, how much do you know? What would you do if you were free right now?” he asked