Run

C H A P T E R T W O

"What do you mean you can't find her?" I ask three of my men.

"S-Sir, there's no trace of them in any of the places where they were last sighted, but we think-" I've had enough. Before he can even finish, I punch him in the face, breaking his nose.

"I don't care if there are no traces. I want her found, now." The one I had punched slowly stands up she clutching his nose, trying to stop it from bleeding on the floor.

"Go find her." They all nod their heads in unison and walk out the door. I start pacing the length of my office.

It's been thirteen years. Thirteen years since I last saw her. And I feel like I haven't been living, haven't been breathing without her next to me.

My father was always open to me about the arrangement. He told me that there was a girl who would be mine someday; a girl who would helped our 'business' flourish. And as a young child, when you are repeatedly told that something, or someone is yours, you start to believe it.

I soon became protective of her, almost like a big brother would to a little sister. I wanted to make sure she was safe at all times. But I was soon unable to do just that when our fathers had a 'disagreement' and inevitably broke off the agreement. My father took my family and I back to Italy and I hated him for it. Hated him for taking me away from the one thing that I was supposed to protect. He died only a few years later, and I wasn't sad at all. The man was nothing special, he was a sorry excuse for a husband and father. I don't even think my mother loved him. Within the days we had found out that he passed, she never cried at home, only when people confronted her about it.

I do think she loved him when they were younger, but that was before he got mixed up in the mafia. My mom was so mad, she always told him how she didn't want her family to get caught up in something like that, but he didn't listen, and it got him killed.

And when he died his place in the mafia was passed down to me, even though I was only sixteen. I trained myself at a young age to not feel anything, to not feel any emotion. I realized that if you allow yourself to feel anything, that's what people target. They target your weaknesses and destroy what you care most about.

I learned to not feel anything for anyone, but I always had Leah's sweet voice and contagious laugh lingering in the back of my mind. I secretly hoped that one day I'd be in a safe enough place to bring her back to me, but I can't wait any longer. I need to have her now.

*********

"Boss," my best, and most trusted man, Leo, says. "We've located Leah Russo and her family." My head snaps up and my eyes widen.

"Where are they?" I ask.

They seem to be hiding out in a small town in Maryland, SugarCreek." My heart starts beating so hard that I think even Leo can hear it.

"Should we go collect her, boss?" I shake my head.

"No, give her a little time. I already contacted her parents, they know I want her, and I'm hoping they'll hand her over to me soon so we can skip the violence." A look of shock graces his features before he quickly wipes it away. I can tell he's confused by my requests because I don't usually give people leverage like this, but for my princess, I will make an exception.

"But," I say, recapturing his attention. "I want one of my men stationed outside her house at all times, I want someone to follow her every move, and I want hourly updates, am I understood?"

He stiffly nods his head and exits my office. I sigh internally, grateful that she has finally been found. I can't wait to have her in my arms again, to hear her beautiful laugh, and see her contagious smile.

I know I shouldn't be thinking about her, I have business to attend to, but I can't help it. I stay up at night, hoping, dreaming, to wake up and have her in my arms, but I never do.

I walk out of my office and head downstairs towards the kitchen, when Leo stops me.

"Leonardo," I say while narrowing my eyes. "what is it?"

"It's the Tallios, sir. They stole two shipments at the docks and threatened one of our men." He says with a straight face. The Tallios are our number one rival, they're the ones who threatened my father, and later on killed him.

"I want you and Andreas to question him, get whatever information you can, then track down the Tallios. I'm done playing their stupid games." I try to walk past him, but he grabs my arm.

"We already tried questioning him, sir. He refuses to give up any information." I glare at his hold on my arm and look back up at him.

"I don't care. I want answers. Use whatever method gets him to talk, and if you have to use torture, so be it." I shrug off his hold on my arm and continue towards the kitchen.

I walk in and see my cook, Arabella, preparing dinner. She's a young girl, just turned the tender age of seventeen. I had found her two years ago, on the side of the road, wearing clothes that had all but turned to rags.

She said her family had abandoned her, and she didn't have a home. I took her in and gave her a job, which she gladly accepted. And two years later, she's still here with me.

"Good afternoon, sir." She says sweetly, while continuing to focus on the meal she's preparing.

"Good afternoon, Arabella."

I sat down at the large island and start to scroll through my phone, with the sound of pots and pans clinking occasionally.

After a good ten minutes, my phone started ringing loudly and I smirked when I checked the caller ID.

I quickly walk out of the kitchen and answer the call.

"Jordan, so nice to hear from you, how long has it been? A month?"

"Cut the crap, Esposito. You can't have her."

I laugh bitterly into the phone and clench my jaw.

"I can't? Are you trying to tell me what to do, old man?"

I hear his breath hitch on the other end. I silently laugh to myself. Such a weak coward.

"N-No, I wasn't-"

"Stop stuttering, old man."

"I'm sorry, sir" He says, with disappointment lacing his voice.

"Good, you should be. Now, I'm going to give you one week to willingly give me your daughter. If your time runs out and you still refuse, I will just take her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." I hang up and a smile makes its way into my face. Just one more week, one more week and I'll finally be able to see my princess again.

*****

A/N

So there's a little insight on Vincent. Yes, I know, it probably wasn't that good, but like I said before, this is my first mafia themed book so, just know that I'm trying.