Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 271 -

*Giovani*

As soon as I had coaxed Olivia back to her room and shut the door behind her, my face darkened. I stormed down the hallway, my phone in my hand as I was already speed-dialing Gabriele back. I hated to be delayed, but I could see the terrible expression Olivia had. She was shocked and riddled with guilt and fear for Dahlia, that was clear to anyone.

I didn't even want to tell her at first, but I was shocked by the way she had threatened me. Hanging onto my legs and refusing to let go?

It was childish, but sweet.

But taking her with me was a whole different matter. There was no way I could replace Dahlia when I was constantly worrying about Olivia as well.

I stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind me, and I turned to one of the guards I had set up. He stared at me, awaiting orders. "Watch her. Make sure no one gets in or out," I said, darkly.

He nodded, taking his place at the front door as I stormed to the garage where my car was waiting. I'd already wasted too much time here. Dahlia could be anywhere. I placed my phone to my ear as I unlocked the car, hearing it ring.

"Sir," Gabriele said calmly.

"How did you let this happen?" I demanded furiously. "You were supposed to be watching Dahlia, keeping her safe. If something happens to her, it's all on you. Do you understand me?" "Yes, sir, but as I said, I was alone, and I could not engage three men single-handedly," Gabriele said back, a little roughly.

Even though I could hear the defiance in his voice, I ignored it. Gabriele was one of my oldest friends, my right-hand man.

I couldn't blame him for this. I cursed, sticking my keys into the ignition and turning. The car rumbled to life, and I spared no time as I backed out of the garage.

I clenched the steering wheel so tightly that my fingers turned white.

"Luckily, we have the building surrounded now. The team is ready to move in and get her back. We just need your orders, sir," Gabriele said.

"Send me the address," I snapped and then hung up. I was glad to hear they'd located her again after they'd lost her the first time. My guys were good-most of the time.

I crossed into the road and gunned it, not caring about the speed limit. My phone dinged with the address, and I remembered the place.

It was an abandoned warehouse, small enough to be off the radar. It was owned by a company that went bankrupt years ago and now just sat rotting. It was the perfect criminal hideout.

I took a hard right, the tires screeching against the busy streets as I attempted to bypass the slow-moving cars in front of me.

I clenched my teeth, hating myself for letting this happen. I knew Dahlia would never listen to me, and I knew the apartment she was spending the night in wasn't safe. But I had let her go anyway.

I thought putting Gabriele as a tail would be enough, but that was my mistake. God, James was going to kill me... if Dahlia's brothers didn't get to me first.

The section of abandoned warehouses bordered the river, so I took the back street, hoping to arrive just in time. I counted down the warehouses, gazing outside my window for any sign of Gabriele or the kidnappers.

I spotted Gabriele's truck and several of my men standing outside of the open bay doors of one of the smallest warehouses, tucked between the wall and river. I pulled in, shutting off my headlights as I cut off the engine. I got out of the car, my eyes on the building in front of me.

Gabriele came to meet me just as I opened up my trunk. I was already loading my handgun by the time he made it to me with a dark look on his face.

"Sir," Gabriele started with a hesitant look.

"Did you breach yet?" I asked, coldly. I was all business at this point.

"Yes, sir," Gabriele nodded.

I threw on one of my bulletproof vests just in case this could be a trap and ignored him as I flicked off the safety of my gun.

"Did you search the other warehouses?"

"Yes, sir. There was nothing. We believe they've been using this place as a hideout for several weeks."

"Weeks?" I scoffed, "They've been planning this for weeks? And you're positive that Lorenzo boy wasn't in on this, that he didn't set her up just for this?"

"We don't know." Gabriele shook his head in frustration. "I don't understand how they would've gotten past our inte,l but it's likely they had-" "A mole." I grit my teeth. "Fucking hell."

This has gone so much deeper than I thought. I slammed my car door shut, holstering my gun as I stormed my way to the open bay doors.

"I'm afraid I have more bad news, sir," Gabriele said as he trailed behind me.

"What could possibly be worse?" I spat out, not knowing I would soon regret my own words.

Three of my men were lingering outside, but as I approached, I spotted two Russians sitting on the floor.

They were tied up in rope and clearly unconscious, though it seemed they had taken quite a beating already. One of the men had a black eye and what looked like a dislocated shoulder given how it stuck out at an odd angle. The other had deep bruises along his neck and had dried blood all down his face. His nose was broken, by the looks of it, and probably more.

I gazed into the warehouse, searching for any sign of my baby cousin, but there was nothing. Where was Dahlia?

"Where's my cousin?" I turned to Gabriele with a furious look. I stormed over to him, grabbing his collar in one hand as I practically lifted him off his feet.

Gabriele, for his part, was unfazed, but I could see a small sliver of guilt in his eyes. "She was gone by the time I got here. I apprehended these two, but they knew I was alone. Once I pulled in, they already had her in a boat and were halfway to the other side of the river."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I threw Gabriele away from me, clenching my fists as I held my gun.

Gabriele adjusted his shirt, taking a few steps away from me.

It wasn't often I lost my temper. There was really only one thing that could do it.

My family.

And these bastards knew it.

In my fury, I wasn't willing to go back empty-handed, to see the disappointed look on Olivia's face as she realized I'd failed to get her best friend back, failed my baby cousin, and failed to keep my family safe.

My cold eyes landed on the two Russian bastards still unconscious and tied up.

"Did you get any information from them?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"As much as we could, sir. They were following orders of someone higher up," Gabriele said, passively, "They don't have much in their brains. Dahlia was unconscious the entire time, even after transferring to the boat. Their comrades were supposed to meet somewhere over the river, but they wouldn't tell us where."

"Good," I cocked my gun and squatted next to the man with the broken nose. "Get me some water."

I held out my hand and it took only a minute for a bottle of water to be pushed into it. I unscrewed it and dumped the contents on top of the man.

His eyes flashed open as he sat up with a gasp, shivering. It was quite cold tonight, so I hoped he was suffering. His eyes landed on me and they filled with panic.

"I'm going to give you two chances, amico," I said cooly and calmly as I held up my gun. "Tell me where your comrades took my cousin or I'll blow your fucking brains out right here."

"Otpravlyaysya vie ad," the man spat out in fast Russian, his voice nasally from his broken nose.

I looked at Gabriele, who smirked.

"He said go to hell," Gabriele responded easily. "Not very nice to say to your amico, is it?"

I shrugged, turning to the Russian man with a dangerous look.

"One chance left, stronzo," I placed the muzzle straight between his eyes.

He attempted to follow it, eyes wide with fear even as he struggled to stop from going cross-eyed.

"Milost," the man pleaded.

"That's up to you, amico." I shrugged. "Tell me where my cousin is, and we can both walk away. Or I'll pull the fucking trigger."

The man stared at me for a long time, his eyes flickering everywhere, from behind me to Gabriele to his partner still unconscious beside him.

Finally, the man's eyes hardened, and he met mine with a firm look of loyalty.

"Da zdravstvuyut Zaytsev," the man responded with the calm indifference of a person who was willing to die for his cause.

"A loyal man." My eyes narrowed upon him and I nodded, removing the gun as I sighed.

The man's eyes actually filled with relief as he shrank against the door, but then I smirked.

"So be it."

I pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out in the empty air of the abandoned street, the sound of it piercing the metal door even more haunting.

Red splattered across my cheek, but I didn't care in the slightest as I got to my feet, still holding the gun in my hand. Gabriele passed me a handkerchief, and I grabbed it, wiping the blood off my gun coldly.

"Burn it, get rid of the body, and take the other one. I don't care what you have to do. Make sure he gives us that location. Do you understand me?" I glared at Gabriele. "Do not fail me again." "Yes, sir," Gabriele bowed his head, and I passed by him, wiping my cheek.

I knew it would only smear it, but I couldn't care less. I slammed my trunk down, throwing the bulletproof vest into my backseat as I climbed into the car.

I sat there for a full minute, my gun in my hand as I gritted my teeth so hard I felt they would crack. Finally, I threw my head back, putting on the safety of my gun as I dropped it into the passenger seat.

I watched for a minute as my men worked and the warehouse burst into flames, along with the man I had just killed. The fire danced in my eyes as it quickly consumed the entire building.

Leave no trail behind; that's what James had taught me.

But now, I didn't have a choice.

I'd fucking failed.

It was time to call James.