Elijah POV

Something was off.

Klaus had been quiet all day, too quiet. He always kept me in the loop, especially when he was out. If anything, I'd get a quick check-in or some snide remark about whatever deal he was working on, but today there was nothing. The air around the house felt tense, almost like a warning. Arabella was playing in the corner, her giggles the only sound in the room, but even that felt distant.

I kept my phone on the table next to me, my fingers drumming impatiently on the armrest of the chair. The silence from Klaus was eating at me. We'd been friends for years, more like brothers, and I knew him too well. When he didn't communicate, it usually meant something was up.

"Elijah," Katerina called softly from across the room. "You look restless. Is something wrong?"

I turned my head, meeting her gaze. Klaus's mother always had a way of seeing through everything, even when you thought you had it hidden. "I don't know," I admitted. "I haven't heard from Klaus since this morning."

She frowned slightly, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel. "You don't think...?"

I shook my head, trying to brush off the creeping sense of dread. "He's probably just busy with Stacy."

"Still," Katerina said, worry etched into her face. "It's unlike him."

She was right. Even when Klaus was with Stacy, he made sure to keep some sort of contact. Not hearing anything didn't sit right with me. I grabbed my phone again, shooting him another text. It had been hours since my last one. My gut twisted as I stared at the screen, waiting for those three dots to pop up, but nothing. Just silence.

I shifted in my seat, running a hand through my hair. "I'm going to check in with a few of our guys, see if anyone's heard from him."

Katerina nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line, the worry on her face mirroring my own. "Let me know as soon as you hear something."

I stepped out of the living room, walking down the hallway as I started calling our contacts. Each call brought the same response—nothing. No one had seen Klaus or Stacy since the morning. My jaw clenched tighter with every call.

Elijah, get a grip. They're fine. They're probably just—

My phone buzzed in my hand, breaking my thoughts. Klaus's name flashed across the screen. Relief flooded me for a split second before my instincts caught on. He never called. I swiped the screen and pressed the phone to my ear.

"Klaus, where the hell have you been?"

The silence on the other end was deafening before his voice finally cut through, low and strained. "We've got a problem."

That was all it took to snap me into focus. "What happened?"

"We were in a crash," he said, his voice tight with anger. "Stacy... she's gone."

My heart dropped. "What do you mean, gone? Where is she?"

"Kidnapped," Klaus growled. "Irish bastards took her."

A cold wave of dread washed over me, the gravity of the situation hitting like a freight train. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Klaus snapped. "They took her. We were driving, and then out of nowhere—bam. The car flipped. I tried to stop them, but by the time I crawled out of the wreck, they had her."

The anger in his voice was palpable, but underneath it was something else—fear. Klaus never showed fear, not to anyone. But this was different. This was Stacy.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, pacing the length of the hallway. "Do you know where they're taking her?"

"I have a few ideas," he replied, his voice icy. "I'll find her."

"Where are you now? I'm coming to get you."

Klaus hesitated for a moment before giving me the location. "I'm not waiting, Elijah. I'm going after her."

"Don't be stupid, Klaus," I said sharply. "We don't know how many of them there are. We need to plan this."

"I'm not waiting," he repeated, his tone final.

I cursed under my breath, knowing that once Klaus made up his mind, there was no changing it. But I also knew I couldn't let him go after her alone. "Fine. I'll get the men ready. We're going to find her."

"Meet me in an hour," Klaus said before the line went dead.

I stood there, the phone still pressed to my ear, my heart racing. This wasn't just another mission. This was Stacy. The woman Klaus was willing to burn the world down for.

I rushed back into the living room, where Katerina was waiting, her eyes wide with concern. "What happened?"

"Klaus and Stacy were in a car crash," I said, my voice tight. "She's been taken."

Katerina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God."

"I'm heading out now. We're going to find her," I assured her, though the knot in my chest told me it wouldn't be that easy.

As I grabbed my jacket, I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. The Russians didn't take kindly to being crossed, and if the Irish were involved, things were about to get ugly. But none of that mattered right now. The only thing that mattered was getting Stacy back.

And I knew Klaus would stop at nothing to make sure of it.

Ollie POV

The living room was warm and cozy, the soft glow of the TV flickering against the walls as we all settled in. Noah and Matteo were cuddled up together on the far end of the couch, their heads resting against each other, whispering little things back and forth. Matteo's arm was draped lazily around Noah's shoulders, and I could see Noah's fingers fiddling with Matteo's hand.

It was kind of sweet, seeing Noah so happy. Ever since they made it official last week, they'd been almost inseparable. It was weird in a good way, seeing my brother like this—comfortable and open, not hiding or pulling away like he used to.

Lily stretched out next to me, tapping away at her phone, occasionally throwing comments at the screen, not really invested in the movie. She'd glance up at Noah and Matteo every now and then with a teasing smile, like she was watching her own personal romance movie play out right in front of her.

"They're disgustingly cute," Lily said, barely looking up from her phone.

"Tell me about it," I muttered, throwing a glance their way. Noah just shot us a mock glare, though his lips tugged into a smile.

Matteo laughed softly, leaning in to whisper something into Noah's ear, causing him to blush a little. I couldn't help but chuckle. As much as I wanted to give them a hard time, it was good to see Noah like this.

Just as I was sinking deeper into the cushions, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I frowned, pulling it out to see Elliot's name on the screen. My stomach tightened. Elliot didn't usually call unless something was up.

"Hey, Elliot, what's going on?" I answered, sitting up straighter, my voice dropping slightly.

"Ollie—there's a situation," Elliot's voice was tight, almost frantic. "It's about Stacy. She's been kidnapped."

My blood ran cold. "Kidnapped? What the hell are you talking about?"

Lily immediately stopped what she was doing, her eyes locking onto mine. Noah and Matteo sat up quickly too, their playful demeanor gone in an instant. The room grew silent.

"Klaus and Stacy were in a car wreck. She's gone, Ollie. Someone took her," Elliot continued, his words quick, panicked. "We think it was the Irish."

My heart raced. Stacy? Kidnapped? My brain was trying to catch up, to make sense of what I was hearing, but it felt like the world had just flipped upside down.

"Where's Klaus? Is he alright?" I asked, standing up and pacing across the room. Everyone else was staring at me now, waiting for answers.

"He's fine. Banged up, but he's more worried about Stacy. He's losing it, Ollie. Elijah's with him, but it's bad."

Lily was already moving, grabbing her jacket. "We need to tell her brothers," she muttered, her face set with determination.

"Lily, wait," I said, catching her arm. "Are you sure we should go over there like this? They're going to flip out."

"We have to tell them," she replied, pulling away from me. "They need to know what's going on."

Noah was standing now, his hand clutching Matteo's. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice shaky. "But we can't sit here and do nothing."

With that, Lily stormed out, headed straight for Stacy's brothers. We knew Cesco, Ricc, Enzo, and Leo were going to lose it once they heard the news.

Lily POV

My heart pounded in my chest as I sped down the street, the cold night air biting at my skin. Stacy's brothers were going to lose it. Hell, I was barely holding it together, but someone had to tell them, and that someone was me. Ollie wanted to come with me, but I couldn't wait for him. There was no time.

I pulled up to the De Angelo house, not even bothering to turn off the engine completely before I jumped out. My hand shook as I reached for the doorbell, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. I had to be strong. For Stacy.

After what felt like an eternity, the door swung open, and Enzo stood there, looking confused. His brow furrowed when he saw me, probably because I was out of breath and looked like I'd seen a ghost.

"Lily? What the hell—"

"Enzo, we need to talk. Now."

"Is it Stacy?" he asked immediately, his tone sharp. The look on his face told me he already knew something was wrong. "What's happened?"

"Just get your brothers," I managed to say, barely keeping my voice from shaking.

Enzo's eyes narrowed for a split second before he stepped aside, yelling over his shoulder, "Cesco! Ricc! Leo!"

The tension in the house was thick as they all gathered in the living room. Cesco was the last to come in, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but cold. Ricc looked almost the same, though his eyes held a little more concern. Leo stood by Enzo, fidgeting, glancing at me with wide, worried eyes.

"Spill it, Lily," Cesco said, his voice clipped. "What's going on?"

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of their stares on me. "It's Stacy."

That was all I had to say. They all stiffened, eyes locked on me, waiting for me to explain. My stomach churned as I tried to form the words in my head, but how the hell do you tell someone their sister was just kidnapped?

"She was in a car wreck," I started, my voice small but steady. "She and Klaus—"

"Klaus?" Cesco's voice was like ice, his hands clenching into fists. "What the fuck does he have to do with this?"

My heart pounded even harder. They hated Klaus. The Italian and Russian mafia had always been at each other's throats, and now... God, this was going to blow up.

"She was with him when it happened. They were in a car crash, and... someone took her," I said, rushing the words out before Cesco could lose it.

"What do you mean someone took her?" Ricc snapped, stepping forward, his face twisted with anger and disbelief. "Who the hell took her?"

"The Irish." The words were heavy, almost a whisper. "Elliot called us. He said it was the Irish."

Cesco was suddenly in my face, his expression dark, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white. "Are you telling me our sister is missing, and the fucking Russians were with her when it happened?"

"Yes," I whispered, feeling the weight of his anger pressing down on me.

"And where the fuck is Klaus now?" Enzo growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"He's hurt but okay. He's losing it over her, too. Elijah's with him."

For a moment, everything was dead silent. Cesco's nostrils flared as he tried to keep himself together, but I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. Enzo slammed his hand against the wall, his face contorted in fury. Leo hadn't moved, just stood there, his face pale.

"We'll kill them all," Cesco finally muttered, his voice dark and cold. "Every last one of those Irish bastards."

"We need a plan," Ricc said, pacing the room, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "We don't even know where they took her."

"We'll find her," Leo said quietly, but his voice shook with uncertainty. "We have to."

Cesco glared at me, his eyes narrowing. "And you're telling me she was with Klaus willingly?"

I hesitated. "Yes."

Cesco cursed under his breath. "That fucking Russian prick."

"Cesco, focus," Enzo snapped. "Right now, we need to focus on getting Stacy back. This isn't about your hatred for Klaus."

"It's always about that," Cesco growled. But despite his words, I could see the panic setting in behind his anger.

"I'll get the triplets and Noah. We're all in this together," I said, feeling my own emotions bubble up to the surface. "We'll find her. I promise."

The brothers didn't respond. They were already storming off, preparing for war.

Niklaus POV

I couldn't get her face out of my mind.

The image of Stacy, unconscious, bleeding, and then... gone. Just like that. It was as if the universe had ripped her away from me in an instant, and I was powerless to stop it. My head was still throbbing from the crash, but that didn't matter. None of the physical pain did. I should've been able to protect her.

"Damn it!" I slammed my fist into the wall of the small room I'd taken refuge in. My hand stung, but it felt good, like I needed to feel something to remind myself I was still here, still fighting. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I yanked it out, expecting a message from Elijah or some kind of update.

But it was nothing. Not a single text. No leads, no clues. No sign of Stacy.

I felt like I was suffocating, every breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. I could still see her, strapped in the passenger seat next to me, her smile softening as she looked at me, leaning in for another kiss. The smell of her hair, the warmth of her body against mine. And now... nothing. The Irish had her. Those bastards took her right from under my nose.

"Fuck!" I slammed my hand against the wall again, and this time, the wood cracked. I stared at the splintered surface, my chest heaving, rage boiling under my skin. The Russians had enemies, of course, but this? The Irish? That was a new threat, and it felt like a personal attack. Like they'd known how much Stacy meant to me and used that against me. She was a target now. And it was my fault.

The door creaked open, and I didn't even turn to see who it was. I knew that steady, quiet footfall anywhere. Elijah.

"Klaus." His voice was calm, but I could hear the tension. He was worried. "We've got men out looking. Elliot is working on some contacts, but we haven't got much yet."

"Not enough," I growled. "They've had her for too long. They could be anywhere by now."

"We'll find her," Elijah said, moving closer. "You know we will."

I turned, meeting his gaze, my fists still clenched. His expression was steady, but I could see the concern etched into his features. For a moment, I couldn't even respond. I just stared at him, feeling the weight of failure crushing me.

"She called me Nik," I muttered, almost to myself. "She trusted me, Elijah. And I couldn't protect her."

Elijah didn't say anything, just let the silence hang between us. He knew better than to offer empty reassurances. We both knew how this world worked. Nothing was guaranteed. Especially safety.

"We'll get her back," Elijah finally said, his voice low. "But we need a plan."

I nodded, trying to focus. That was what mattered now. Plans, strategy, revenge. The Irish wouldn't get away with this. No one took from the Ivanovs and lived to tell the tale.
"I'm going after her," I said, my voice hard as steel. "I don't care what it takes."

Elijah raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "We need more information first. You go in blind, and you risk losing everything."

"Then get me the information," I snapped, pacing the room like a caged animal. "We're running out of time."

"Klaus, listen to me," Elijah said, his tone firm. "You're no good to her dead. We need to be smart about this. You rush in, and they'll kill her just to make a point."

I stopped, staring at him, the anger still coursing through me, but I knew he was right. Charging in without a plan would get her killed. But every second that passed felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

"I can't lose her, Elijah," I said quietly, the desperation in my voice breaking through. "I won't."

"You won't," Elijah said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "But we need to play this right. We'll find her. And when we do, we'll make the Irish pay."

Stacy POV

I woke up to darkness. My head throbbed, every pulse sending sharp pain through my skull. My arms and legs felt heavy, and when I tried to move, the cold bite of metal against my wrists told me I was chained. Panic rose in my chest, and I fought against the restraints, my breathing quickening as I struggled to make sense of what had happened. The last thing I remembered was sitting in the car with Nik—no, Klaus—laughing, enjoying the calm moments we never had enough of.

Then the crash. The brutal impact. Everything went black after that.

"Fuck," I muttered, blinking against the oppressive darkness.

My muscles screamed as I tried to move again, but the chains held tight. I was in a cell, clearly. Cold concrete beneath me, the air damp and heavy with the smell of rust and mildew. My heart raced as I took in the silence around me. How long had I been out? Where was Klaus? Was he hurt? Or worse...

I couldn't let my mind go there.

Focus, Stacy. Get out.

My breathing steadied as I assessed my surroundings. The faint sound of water dripping echoed in the distance, but otherwise, it was silent. No windows, no light source. Whoever had taken me wasn't playing around. They knew what they were doing.

I shifted, and pain shot through my ribs, making me gasp. My body ached all over, the bruises from the crash still fresh. I felt the sting of a cut along my temple, dried blood sticking to my skin. They hadn't even bothered to clean me up.

But the bigger question was, who were they? Russians? No. Klaus's people wouldn't do this. They wouldn't dare. The Greeks? No, I took care of them myself. There were barely any left after I was done with them.

Then it hit me. The Irish. The thought sent a chill down my spine. I'd heard whispers about them, but I never thought they'd go this far. I should have known someone would eventually come for me. The life I led didn't come without consequences.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside the cell, heavy and deliberate. I tensed, my body stiffening as the sound grew closer. The door creaked open, and a beam of light sliced through the darkness. My eyes squinted against it, trying to make out the figure standing in the doorway.

"Look who's finally awake," a gruff voice said, thick with an Irish accent.

I didn't respond, keeping my breathing calm despite the rage bubbling beneath the surface. The figure stepped closer, revealing himself. He was tall, with sharp, angular features, his green eyes cold and calculating. He wore a tailored suit, completely out of place in the grimy cell, and his gaze swept over me like I was nothing more than a piece of meat.

"So, you're the infamous Stacy De Angelo. The little assassin who took down my cousin."

I froze, my stomach twisting into a knot. Cousin?

The man smirked, clearly enjoying the look of realization on my face.

"Ah, there it is. You're quick, I'll give you that. But you didn't think you could just slaughter the Greek Don and walk away without anyone noticing, did you?"

Of course. The Irish Don. His cousin had to be the old Greek Don I'd killed. The pieces clicked together in my mind, and suddenly, everything made sense. This wasn't just about some petty mafia turf war. This was personal.

"Revenge?" I spat, my voice hoarse but steady. "You've got a lot of nerve."

He chuckled, stepping closer until he was right in front of me, towering over me. I wanted to rip that smirk off his face, but the chains bit into my wrists, holding me back.

"You made it personal when you butchered him and his men," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "My cousin may have been a bastard, but he was family. And in our world, we don't let that shit slide."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "What do you want? Torture me, kill me? It won't change anything. Your cousin was a monster, and I put him down like the dog he was."

His eyes darkened, and he backhanded me across the face with a sharp crack. My head snapped to the side, pain flaring along my cheek. I tasted blood but didn't flinch, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

"You're brave," he sneered. "But that's not going to help you here. You killed my cousin, and now I'm going to make you pay for it, bit by bit."

He leaned down, his breath hot and rancid against my ear. "And don't think for a second that anyone's coming to save you. Your precious Klaus? He's probably already dead by now."

Fear and anger swirled in my chest, but I wouldn't let it show. I couldn't. Klaus wasn't dead. He couldn't be. He'd find me. He'd tear the world apart to get me back. But what if this guy was right? What if Klaus didn't even know where I was? What if...

No. I couldn't think like that.

"You're a dead man," I growled, glaring up at him despite the pain. "Klaus will kill you for this. The Russians don't let things go."

He smirked, standing upright again, clearly unfazed by my threat. "I'm counting on it."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him. The darkness swallowed me once more, but this time, the silence was deafening.

I sat there, alone with my thoughts, trying to push down the growing panic. They wanted revenge, and I was their bargaining chip. But how long could I hold out? How long before they broke me? Before they tried to use me against Klaus?

God, my brothers would lose their minds. If they found out I'd been taken, they'd burn the world down trying to get me back. And if they knew Klaus was involved... the blood feud between the Italian and Russian mafia would explode.

I couldn't let that happen.

I needed to get out of here. I needed to survive, for Klaus, for my brothers, for myself. This wasn't over. Not yet.

With a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down, to think clearly. I wouldn't let them win. Not like this. I'd faced worse and come out on top before.

But this time... this time, it felt different.

Cesco POV

The warehouse reeked of dust, metal, and tension. Every step I took echoed through the massive space, the sound of our boots hitting the concrete only amplifying the fury bubbling inside me. My brothers, Ricc, Enzo and Leo, flanked me, their faces grim with the same determination. We were here for answers—or more likely, a fight.

Niklaus Ivanov. Russian mafia. He was the last person Stacy was with, and now she's gone. Missing. That bastard had something to do with it, I was sure of it. If he wasn't involved, his recklessness had put her in harm's way. Either way, I was ready to tear him apart.

We stormed through the heavy doors of the warehouse, the sharp creak of the hinges drawing the attention of the armed men stationed around. Russian goons everywhere. Their eyes darted to us, their hands resting on their holstered guns, but none of them made a move. They knew better.

Ahead, Niklaus stood with his second-in-command, Elijah, both of them looking just as pissed off as we were. Good. At least we were on the same page there. But that didn't matter. This was on him. Stacy was my sister. Our sister. And she was missing because of him.

Niklaus turned toward us, his cold, steely eyes locking onto mine. The tension in the air thickened, like the room was one spark away from exploding. My blood was boiling, my fists clenched at my sides as I marched up to him.

"You son of a bitch!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the warehouse. "Where the fuck is my sister?"

He didn't flinch, didn't move an inch, just stood there like the arrogant piece of shit he was. His silence only fueled the fire inside me.

"You had her, Niklaus! She was with you! What the hell happened?" Enzo's voice cracked as he yelled, stepping forward, his hands shaking with rage.

Ricc, usually the quiet one, was right behind him. "You promised you'd keep her safe. Now she's gone. This is on you!"

L;aus' jaw tightened, and I could see the flicker of anger in his eyes. Good. He should be angry. He should be scared. If anything happened to Stacy because of him, I'd tear him apart with my bare hands.

I couldn't wait anymore. I shoved him, hard, catching him off guard. "Say something!" I bellowed, my voice breaking. "What the hell happened to her?!"

Niklaus barely budged, but I saw his hand twitch, ready to fight back. His voice, when he finally spoke, was calm but laced with menace. "You think I'm not doing everything I can to find her?"

I shoved him again. This time, Elijah stepped forward, but Klausraised a hand to stop him.

"Don't talk to me like you give a damn," I snarled. "You're the reason she's gone. I trusted you with her, and now she's fucking gone!"

That's when things got physical. Niklaus shoved me back, harder this time. "You think I don't care about her? She means more to me than you know!"

Before I could even think, I lunged at him, my fists swinging. Everything became a blur of punches and shouts. Enzo and Leo jumped in, grabbing at Elijah, who was trying to pull me off Niklaus. It was chaos. Bodies collided, curses flew, and fists landed on flesh.

"I'll fucking kill you!" I roared, landing a punch to Niklaus's jaw. He retaliated, his fist connecting with my ribs, knocking the wind out of me for a second.

"Stop!" Elijah's voice cut through the chaos, but we were too far gone, too consumed by rage and fear.

Finally, it was Elijah who managed to wrestle me off Nik, pinning me back with surprising strength. "Enough!" he barked, his voice commanding. "We're wasting time! Fighting each other isn't going to bring Stacy back!"

I struggled against his hold, my chest heaving with exertion, but his words sank in. He was right. As much as I wanted to tear Niklaus apart, it wouldn't help Stacy. But the fury wouldn't die down. I looked at Klaus, breathing heavily, blood trickling from his lip where I'd landed a hit.

"You don't get it, Elijah," Leo spat, his voice shaking.

"We don't know where she is!" Elijah interrupted, his voice softer but no less serious. "But blaming each other isn't going to fix it. We need to work together if we want to find her. You think we're not going through the same hell? Stacy isn't just important to you."

For a second, the room was silent, the weight of his words sinking in. I wiped the blood from my mouth and glared at Niklaus. His face was hard, his usual calm replaced by a barely contained rage that mirrored mine.

"How?" I said finally, my voice low and hoarse. "How are we going to find her when we have no leads?"

Niklaus stepped forward, his voice cold and determined. "We've got men looking, but no, we don't have any leads yet. We're dealing with the Irish. They're ghosts. But I'll find them. I'll kill them for what they've done."

The Irish. The name alone made my blood boil

"Where do we even start?" Enzo asked, his voice raw with desperation. "We don't even know where they took her."

Nik ran a hand through his hair, the frustration evident. "We're following any trail we can find. Intercepting communications, shaking down informants. But these guys are good at covering their tracks."

I felt my chest tighten, the helplessness sinking in. We had nothing. No trail, no leads. My sister was out there, alone, and we had no way of finding her.

As if on cue, the sound of more footsteps echoed through the warehouse. I turned to see Robert and Elizabeth Clark, the triplets' parents, walking in with a small group of men—British mafia, Ollie's men. Robert looked like he'd aged ten years since we last saw him. The worry lines on his face told me everything I needed to know. They were just as desperate.

Robert's gaze locked onto Niklaus, his face hardening. "Is it true?" he asked, his voice filled with restrained anger. "Is Stacy really missing?"

Nik gave a curt nod. "Yes. The Irish have her."

"Then we'll help," Robert said without hesitation, his voice firm. "Stacy's one of ours. We'll pool our resources and find her, no matter where they've taken her."

The weight of the situation crashed down on me again. We had everyone now—the Italian, Russian, and British mafias all ready to tear the world apart to find Stacy. But with no leads, no direction, it felt like we were grasping at straws.

I glanced at my brothers, then back at Niklaus. "We have to find her," I said, my voice breaking despite myself. "We can't fail her."

Niklaus's eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something in them—something that told me he was feeling the same pain I was. "We won't," he said, his voice cold and deadly serious. "But when we do, the Irish are dead."

And with that, the room fell into a grim silence. We were all ready for war. The only question was, would we find Stacy before it was too late?

Noah POV

It had been two days since Stacy had gone missing, and my nerves were frayed. Matteo and Ollie were trying to keep me grounded, but none of us were dealing with this well. Stacy was like family, and now, the silence from the streets, the lack of information, it was driving me insane. I had to do something, anything. Niklaus and the Russians were doing what they could, but I knew Stacy's mafia—the Greek mafia—needed to mobilize. They were hers, loyal to her above anyone else. If anyone had a chance of finding her, it was them.

I drove in silence, Matteo beside me. He hadn't said much since I told him my plan, but I knew he was with me. The tension in the car was thick, our thoughts clearly aligned. We had to move fast, no room for mistakes.

When we finally reached the Greek mafia's base, a dark, looming building on the outskirts of town, the weight of what I was about to do hit me. I wasn't Greek. I wasn't family. But Stacy was, and I had to act like she was still here, like I had her backing behind me. I had to take control because she wasn't here to do it herself.

Matteo gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before I stepped out of the car. His calm was one of the few things keeping me steady. I took a breath and walked up to the entrance, nodding at the men guarding the door. They didn't question me—they knew who I was, knew my connection to Stacy. They let me through without a word.

The inside of the building was just as tense as I'd expected. The air was heavy with smoke and anxiety, and the men standing around were clearly on edge. I walked straight to the back, to the office where I knew Stacy's second-in-command, Viktor, would be.

I shoved open the door, not bothering to knock. Viktor was behind the desk, looking like he hadn't slept in days, which he probably hadn't. His dark eyes flicked up to meet mine, and there was no surprise on his face, just exhaustion. He knew why I was here.

"Noah," he greeted, his voice gravelly. "You heard?"

"Of course I fucking heard," I snapped, the anger rising in my chest. "Stacy's missing. Why aren't your men out there tearing the city apart?"

Viktor sighed, leaning back in his chair. "We're looking. Every connection, every informant we have is on the streets, but we don't have anything solid yet. The Irish—they move like shadows. No trace, no trail."

"That's not good enough," I said, pacing the room. My heart pounded in my chest, the fear for Stacy making it hard to think straight. "You need to do more. We don't have time to wait around for a lead to just drop into our laps."

Viktor rubbed a hand over his face. "What do you think we're doing, Noah? My men are stretched thin as it is. But this isn't some small-time gang. It's the Irish mafia. You know how hard it is to get close to them, let alone get information on where they're keeping someone."

I stopped pacing and faced him. "Then make it happen. Send more men. Shake down every informant you've got, even if they're small-time. Someone knows something."

Viktor stared at me for a moment, and I could see the weariness in his eyes. But there was something else there too—respect. He knew I was right. He knew that we couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"You're right," he finally said, pushing himself to his feet. "We'll go harder, push our contacts, put more men on the streets. But this isn't just about numbers. If the Irish took her, they've got an agenda. This isn't random. We need to figure out what that is."

"They want revenge," I said, the words bitter in my mouth. "She took down the old Greek Don, right? The Irish are tied to them somehow."

Viktor nodded slowly. "That makes sense. They're after her for what she did to the Greek mafia, what she did to their allies. But that doesn't get us closer to finding her."

"It doesn't have to," I said, my voice low. "Not if we're hitting them from every side. They'll make a mistake. They'll get sloppy. And when they do, we'll be there."

Viktor considered me for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll call in more men. We'll triple our efforts. But this has to be coordinated. You're not in charge here, Noah. Stacy is."

"I know that," I shot back, my anger flaring again. "But Stacy isn't here. So I'm stepping in until we get her back."

Viktor's eyes darkened, but he didn't argue. He knew I wasn't overstepping. This was about Stacy, and we both wanted the same thing. We just had to work together to make it happen.

"I'll send word to the men," Viktor finally said, walking around the desk to stand in front of me. "But you need to keep your head straight. This isn't just a brawl. This is a war we're stepping into."

"I know that," I muttered, my jaw tight. "Just make sure your men are ready. We're not stopping until we get her back."

Viktor gave me a curt nod before turning away, already barking orders to his men through his phone.

Matteo, who had been quiet the entire time, finally spoke up, his voice calm but firm. "We're with you, Noah. Whatever it takes, we'll find her."

I nodded, but the weight of it all still pressed down on me. Stacy was out there, somewhere, and we had no idea what condition she was in. The thought of her hurt, alone, made my chest tighten painfully.

But I couldn't let the fear control me. Stacy wouldn't give up, and neither could we.

"Viktor," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. "Get everyone you can on this. We'll find her."

"We will," Viktor agreed, his eyes hardening with determination. "And when we do, the Irish will regret ever laying a hand on her."

With that, I turned and left the office, Matteo following close behind. Outside, the men were already moving, mobilizing, ready to hit the streets harder than before.

As we climbed back into the car, I glanced at Matteo, who reached over to grab my hand again. He didn't say anything, but the silent support was all I needed.

We were going to find Stacy. No matter what it took, we'd bring her back.

And when we did, the Irish would pay.

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A/n:

Long chapter for you my loves for not updating!

Remember updates will probably be weekly now bc school had started!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter love you all!!

WC: 6367