Chapter 14

Protecting my family had always been my top priority. Nothing was more important, not even the Famiglia.

Staring down at the note from Earl White, I realized I’d failed.

Payback time, Vitiello.

Earl White

President of the Tartarus MC

“That imbecile probably doesn’t know more words,” Matteo muttered. I didn’t react. There was a static rush in my ears, similar to the one I’d experienced years ago when I’d thought Aria was cheating on me and I had gone on a killing spree in the Tartarus clubhouse. I had lost control back then, and I was close to losing it again.

Matteo had been there back then, like he was now. And his gaze held the same concern as he watched me silently as in the past.

My body called for blood, for screams and carnage.

I could do nothing but listen to the furious beating of my heart. “How am I going to tell Aria?” I pressed out. I’d only found out four hours ago that Marcella had been kidnapped from campus. One of the men responsible for her safety had called me to tell me. The only reason why he wasn’t dead yet was that I’d need every man to destroy Tartarus and trying to save his hide was a great incentive.

Matteo touched my shoulder. “I can do it.”

“No,” I croaked, shaking my head. I slanted a look at my boy, his face still buried in his palms. Amo had been there when the call had come in. His shock reflected my own. Despite being introduced to the Famiglia at his thirteenth birthday, I’d kept many horrid aspects of this world from him, by Aria’s request.

I got up from my chair in my office where we’d returned after a futile search. There wasn’t a trace of Marcella, nor of the members from Tartarus. They’d all crawled into their hiding holes, scared of what I’d do if I caught one of them. They’d sing like a canary, reveal every second they never knew they kept. “I should go home now before word reaches Aria.”

I had already called a meeting for every man of the Famiglia who was close enough to be present tonight. Some of my Underbosses and their soldiers were too far away to join in the search.

Amo stepped up to me, gripping my forearm, his eyes harsh. “Let me be a part of the search and the destruction of Tartarus. I don’t want protection. I don’t need to be protected. I want to save Marci and kill every fucker who hurt her. I want to smash their bodies into a bloody pulp.”

He was almost my height and the fierceness in his gray eyes, my eyes, reminded me more of myself than ever before.

Protecting him wasn’t an option anymore. I nodded and squeezed his shoulder. I hadn’t been able to protect Marcella, and I could no longer protect Amo. “We’ll fight side by side.”

His expression filled with determination and pride. Maybe I should have let him be part of a mission before. This, his first real mission, was riskier than anything we’d been up against in a long time.

My heart rate picked up when I entered our mansion thirty minutes later. Matteo and Amo were close behind me, but this, telling Aria everything, was my burden. Valerio rushed down the steps, grinning, but one look at my face and his expression fell. “What’s wrong?”

I indicated Amo and Matteo to take care of him. He was too young for the gruesome details but he, too, needed the truth. Yet, my sole focus was Aria for now.

I followed soft humming into the kitchen where I found her. She was blowing on a steaming cup of tea while reading a magazine. I hadn’t expected to find her cooking. Aria was the worst cook in the world.

Her golden blonde hair was up in a messy bun, a few wayward strands framing her gorgeous face. Marcella had inherited Aria’s beauty and her eyes, but my black hair.

Aria and I’d been married for twenty-four years, longer than both of us had been without the other. She was still as beautiful as on our wedding day, maybe even more so. What made her even more beautiful was that she loved more fiercely than anyone else I knew, which was why this news would break her.

“Aria,” I forced out. Every fiber in my body revolted against disturbing her serenity with an ugly truth even I could hardly bear. I’d vowed to keep all harm from her and our family and failed horribly.

Aria turned with a soft smile which faded away at the look on my face. She knew me better than anyone, every twitch of my face and the meaning behind it. I could only imagine what my expression must have been like.

She set down her cup slowly, worry filling her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

How could I tell her? I wanted to lie to her, to protect her at least.

I wasn’t a man who shied back from an ugly truth or from anything else. I’d seen and done too much to be scared, but right this moment I was fucking terrified. “Do you remember the Jersey MC?”

Her brows pulled together. “You killed them all when I was pregnant with Marcella.”

My heart shriveled. Of course, she remembered. I’d acted out of sheer desperation and fury back then, not thinking about the consequences of my actions. I wanted to maim and kill, and these bikers had seemed like the perfect target. They had attacked Famiglia warehouses and killed my soldiers before so they were far from being innocent, but back then I’d have killed them even if that hadn’t been the case.

My actions had gone unpunished for decades, but now Marcella was paying for my sin.

“They rebuilt their chapter in the last few years.”

She nodded because I’d mentioned it to her on occasion, especially if one of their insane attacks had caused me a headache.

“Luca, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong? Why are you telling me all this?”

I moved toward her and touched her shoulders. “Marcella, they kidnapped—”

Aria took a step back, horror twisting her face. “No.”

“Aria—”

“No,” she whispered. She began to shake, backing away until her back hit the kitchen counter. Tears burst from her eyes. She put a shaking hand over her mouth, gasping for breath as her anguish stole it from her. I wanted to touch her, to console her but I wasn’t sure if she wanted my touch. I was the reason for all this. Marcella had become a target because of my actions in the past. “She’s alive,” she said—not asked, as if her saying it would make it true.

“Yes, of course she’s alive. The president probably wants to blackmail me. They won’t kill her. They know I’d pulverize them and every MC in my territory and beyond in revenge.” I didn’t trust in Earl White’s word or his honor, but I had to trust in his instinct of self-preservation. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt her. But even if they didn’t Marcella had to be terrified in the hands of those men, terrified of what they might do… I didn’t want to consider the horrible options.

Aria closed her eyes, swallowing. “Oh Marci.” Aria sagged against me with a choked wail, her fingers digging into my arms. I caught her and pressed her against my chest.

Her pain cut me worse than any blade ever had. “I’m sorry, love. Our daughter is paying for my sins. I’ll never forgive me and I don’t expect you to ever forgive me either.”

Aria pulled back slowly, wiping her eyes before she looked up at me. She clutched my hand. “These men are at fault, not you, Luca. There’s nothing to forgive. When I married you, I knew of the risks of being with a Capo.”

The marriage had never been her choice though, even if we’d chosen each other over and over again in the years since our wedding day.

“I’ll offer to exchange myself for our daughter. It’s me they want, not her.”

Aria’s expression became unexpectedly fierce. “Save our daughter and kill those men. They can’t survive or we’ll never be safe. You’re the strongest man I know. Show them, and don’t you dare not come back to me.”

Aria’s unwavering faith in me was the greatest gift I could imagine and a burden I gladly carried. I wouldn’t disappoint her trust. I’d save our daughter with sheer brutality and with my life if necessary.

Amo stepped into the dining room, and his face didn’t bode well. I got up at once. I hadn’t been hungry anyway. The only reason why I was at the dining table was because Aria wanted to preserve a semblance of normalcy for Valerio. He knew more than she wanted, but he humored her pretending he didn’t.

Aria and Valerio fell silent.

I moved closer to Amo, keeping my voice low as I asked, “What’s wrong?”

Amo’s face was red with anger. “The bikers posted a video of Marcella on the internet.”

Aria got up and approached us. “Is Marcella all right? What happened?”

“What kind of video?”

Amo’s phone beeped repeatedly with incoming messages. He slanted a look at the screen. “Fuck. I’ll kill them all.”

I grabbed his wrist. “Amo, what kind of video?”

My own phone began to buzz with messages.

“They posted a video of Marcella naked and tagged her on social media. It’s all over Insta, TikTok and Twitter.”

I balled my hands into fists, my fury so overwhelming, I had trouble reining it in. Valerio and Aria were watching me worriedly, and I needed to keep my fucking composure until I was away from home.

Aria glanced down at her cell phone and the color drained from her face.

“Mom?” Valerio asked, but she didn’t react.

I went over to Aria and touched her shoulder. She lifted her head. “I want them all dead,” she whispered softly. As if she had to ask. They would die, one way or another. Either by my hand or by Amo’s and Matteo’s after they’d killed me.

I hunched over my desk, glaring at my phone. My last call with Earl White had been yesterday. I hadn’t heard from him since then and I didn’t have a number to call. His last words made me fear the worst for Marcella.

Matteo paced the room. “He wants you to beg. I can’t wait for the tables to have turned and to make him beg.”

I’d as good as begged, not in the exact words and keeping my fury at bay had been close to impossible after the video of Marcella that the MC had posted but I had offered myself to Earl White on a silver platter, but he’d refused. If my men were closer to finding Tartarus’ current hiding place, then things would be easier. I’d pulverize every biker. Fuck, I’d enjoy it more than anything I’d ever enjoyed before.

“I dream of killing the Whites every night. It’s all I can think about,” Amo said from his spot on my couch. He had spent every waking hour searching for Tartarus and his sister since she had been kidnapped. Even Aria who was usually so adamant about him focusing on the upcoming school year hadn’t argued.

Nothing was more important than family.

Two days ago, we’d followed a lead all night but the hut we’d found had only been an abandoned storage for guns and ammo. There wasn’t a trace of the current Tartarus clubhouse. If we could only get our hands on one of the bikers. They would reveal the location, but the last guy we’d followed and cornered had put a bullet in his head before we could grab him.

A knock sounded and Valerio poked his head inside my office.

“Mom just got a package. There’s a hellhound print on it.”

Amo jumped up from the sofa but I was already out the door, rushing after Valerio who led the way to Aria. We found her in the living room. She stared down at the package, a letter knife in her hand, but it was still closed.

“Don’t open it!” I shouted. Aria jumped, her gaze darting to me. I reached her and gently pulled her away, shielding her with my body.

Amo took the knife from her hand. I shook my head. “I’ll open it.”

He handed me the knife and I cut through the package wrap. I doubted there was something dangerous inside, but even if there were it should be me who got hurt.

I ripped open the package and found a jar with a bloody piece of flesh inside. My pulse sped up as I read the label. “The first piece of your daughter that you get back. More will follow until you show some respect.”

Matteo’s eyes widened. “What is that?” he murmured. Amo still kept Aria and Valerio back.

I brought the glass closer to my face. “An earlobe.”

Matteo gritted his teeth and looked away, muttering something under his breath. I wasn’t sure I could speak. My fury burned too brightly.

“Luca?” Aria called, her voice ringing with panic. “What is that?”

“Take your mother and brother upstairs,” I ordered Amo. Aria wouldn’t have it. She shook Amo’s grip off and he obviously didn’t dare grab her again. I shoved the package at Matteo before I went over to Aria, stopping her from looking at the jar.

“Luca.” Aria’s voice trembled, her eyes filling with tears and terror as she peered up at me.

“Trust me, love. Marcella will come back to us soon.”

“I’m not weak. I want to know what’s happening.”

I motioned at Amo to remove Valerio from the room who followed his brother under protest.

Aria clutched my arms. I couldn’t find the words, couldn’t tell her what was happening to Marcella and what I couldn’t prevent. Even I, who had seen and done so many horrible things, couldn’t bear the thought of what Marcella had gone through. The pain, the fear…

The words wouldn’t pass my lips. I closed my eyes briefly. “They want to punish me, love. I won’t let them hurt Marcella more.”

Aria looked at Matteo who was still holding the package. She moved past me. “Show me,” she ordered. Matteo glanced at me. I nodded.

Aria took the jar then dropped it back in the package. I wrapped my arms around her from behind, holding her as she cried.

Tartarus had hit me in the worst way possible, and Earl White knew it. He relished in it, and knowing men like him, he would loathe to lose this source of power. He wouldn’t release Marcella. If we didn’t find her soon…

Helplessness was a feeling I wasn’t accustomed to, and I didn’t allow it to take root. As long as I took breath, I’d search for my girl, and I’d kill every biker on my way to her.