Page 80 of Taking His Heart

Ifucked up. I let her out of my sight, and now I’ve lost her.

All thoughts of leaving this house and going to the Plaza went out the window when I found Daniella’s ring on the ground. Sitting in a pool of blood next to the body of that Kevin guy Aurelio was holding in the basement. It’s been five hours. I’ve gone through every second of footage from every camera on this property. There isn’t a sign of Daniella being taken off the estate.

We’ve searched through every inch of the house. There’s no sign of her being here either. “How the fuck does a person just disappear?” I yell.

“CJ, I understand this is difficult, but we’re going to find her. To do that, I’m going to need you to keep your wits about you. Do not lose your shit right now,” Aunt Lailani says.

“Keep my wits? My fucking wife has been taken. She was supposed to be safe in this house. No one was supposed to be able to get in here!”

“Well, I did tell you the security was lacking.” Aunt Lailani sighs. “I’m going to do everything I can to find her, CJ.”

She’s right. She did say that. I just didn’t think much of it. There isn’t any building my aunt wouldn’t be able to break into. I would be more surprised if she couldn’t get into one undetected.

“She has to be in this house still,” I mutter.

My phone rings, the name Gio De Bellis flashing across the screen. Fucking hell. How the hell do I answer that? I assured the man I wouldn’t let anything happen to his daughter.

“Mr. De Bellis,” I answer, because it would be worse if I didn’t.

“CJ, she’s still in that house. Find her,” he says.

“I’m looking,” I tell him. “How do you know she’s still here?”

“Her earrings. They have a GPS in them. She never takes them out.”

Her fucking earrings. I should have known he tracked his fucking kids. Right now, I’m not mad about it.

“She’s still here! Search again! Every fucking inch of this house!” I bark out as I start walking. “Elias, Aunt Lai, come with me. We’re going back into that basement.”

“The basement…” Mr. De Bellis says into my ear. “The safe room, CJ. Did anyone look there?”

“Fuck.” I start running through the house. I didn’t think to search the safe room.

“Everyone get the fuck out of this house now!” Santo’s voice cracks over the walkie-talkie in my hand. I look to Elias and Aunt Lailani. I’m not leaving this fucking house without Daniella. “The entire place is wired to blow! Get out! Assemble at the back of the yard! Now.”

“I’m going down there. You two can leave,” I tell my cousin and aunt. I need to search that room. Then I return my attention to Gio. “Is there an external entry or exit to that room, Gio?”

A flashlight comes from behind me. Turning, I find my cousin and aunt close at my heels.

“You need to get the fuck out of the house, CJ,” Santo’s voice cracks over the line again.

I drop the walkie onto the floor and jog to the end of the hallway. Down ten, across five. I press on the brick and the wall opens.

“Well, that’s unexpected,” Elias comments.

As soon as I walk through the opening, light emanates from inside. This isn’t just a safe room. It’s a small fucking apartment down here. There are other doors. I want to yell out for Daniella, but I also don’t want to give away the fact that we’re here if that fucker does have her somewhere.

I pull out my gun, not taking any chances. If I get my eyes on that son of a bitch, I am pulling the trigger.

I open the first door. It’s a bedroom. And fucking empty. I watch as my aunt and cousin search the other two rooms. “Nothing,” they say as they turn back in my direction.

“Fuck,” I grit out. “She has to be here somewhere.”

Where the hell are you, Daniella?

I spin around in a circle. That’s when I see it. Mud, a footprint in the kitchenette area. I walk over and look down. It’s a bootprint.

“Gio, when was the last time anyone came into this room?”