Take Me Home

thirty

Above is Ilya :)))

Raff's POV

One fucking week

An entire week since my sorellina was taken. We have been putting all of our forces and connections behind finding her but it's been useless.

I saw this day was coming.

Gaia tried warning me weeks ago, but I tried. I tired so hard to not believe it, as everyday passes the reality gets more real. Of course, our father fucked up by taking matters into his own hands. When i finally spoke to him he was overcome with guilt. He tried to protect her and failed. We all did.

"We've run every possible camera possible. Along interstates, highways, airports from here to California, to Mexico." Eliseo informs me as he walks into my home office, his shirt was untucked, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, an empty tumbler in his hand. He was frustrated, we all were.

"Did you find anything?"

"Other than the van on the night of her disappearance leaving the state, it's been dark."

I run my hands through my hair, I look across my desk to the photo frame. There sat two photos. One was from the day Gaia was born- I held the small bundle wrapped in a lilac blanket so delicately in my arms, a bright smile on my face as I run my thumb along her newborn chubby cheeks.

Beside was another photo, this one was in my car the day before her birthday. Gaia was stressed, she was panicking about what was coming her way. Driving always seemed to calm me down so I took her for a long drive around the city. We stopped at some traffic, I took my phone out while she was distracted looking out the window.

In that moment she looked so grown up, it scared me how this was my little sister. The one who would climb into bed with me every morning before dad took her down for breakfast, or the little girl who used to call me 'Aff' because she couldn't pronounce her r's.

And now she was gone, I did everything I could to reassure her I wouldn't let this happen, I broke that promise. If I was her I wouldn't forgive me. Because of me shoe could be that Mexican's wife, procreating literal spawns.

Fuck I need her back.

"- the van was found abandoned on the docks in Boston. The Maddente boys went out to check it over, make sure nothing was left." I caught the end of what Carlo was telling us, I hadn't realised everyone was in my office. "Ignacio is on the way over with Josiah, the Vasil'evs have just turned up too."

"Why are they here?" Eliseo questions him.

"No idea. Maxim said it was important." He shrugs, as he turns back to his phone, likely texting his mother with regular updates.

"Nothing is more important than getting Gaia back." I confirm, having enough of the dramatics. Just then my office door is pushed open, in walks Maxim and his son, Andrei.

"I couldn't agree more Romardi. That's why I'm here." He looks around the room at my brothers and Carlo, who is more a brother to me than a cousin. "Where is your father?"

I pause, rolling my eyes, "lets say he is away on business." My tone is bullshit, I'm hiding the lies behind them. It was obvious.

He raises his brows. "You'd think he'd be here to find his daughter." I mutter a silent affirmation. Ignacio and Josiah have now joined the informal meeting and once introductions are out of the way we go ahead with our discussions.

"Why are you here Maxim?" I question him, leaning my head on my fisted hand, I was exhausted. I needed sleep but with everything on my mind it wasn't happening. I would sleep peacefully when Gaia is back home, in her bed.