Chapter 1 - Heart for a Heart

Matteo POV

“Boss, you need to check this out”, I hear as Leo speak through the earpiece.

“On my way’, I reply ask walk around the corner of the empty abandoned factory where we were supposed to meet Andreas Santana, the heir of the Spanish mafia. They contacted us to meet here and after we swept the place it was empty and they never showed up. I am always aware and anticipating an attack, but I never anticipated what I am about to face.

As I see Leo across the room I approach him while I still hold my gun in case someone appears out of nowhere he is bending down looking at something.

“What is it?”, I ask

“A heart’, he says and I look down to see a human heart wrapped in a piece of fabric. The fabric is now red but you can tell that it used to be white. It has some engraving as well. I scrunch my nose as I smell the irony scent of blood.

“A heart for a heart”, it said on the note resting next to it that Leo is now holding.

“Fucking assholes”, I let out and for the first time in my life I feel fear, this feels weird and I don’t like it, I grab my phone and I start calling Avery but it goes straight to voicemail. Fuck. Answer the phone Avery. I start pacing around and I look at Leo and I can see worry all over his face.

Leo starts calling everyone to get closer and in a matter of seconds I was surrounded by more than thirty of my men.

“I need this place inspected, I want every inch of this place searched, I need to know what the hell is going on, let me know what you find, even if it is a single hair”, I let out and they all nod their heads and instantly they spread into groups and started doing what was asked of them. I never have to repeat twice.

Leo puts his leather gloves on and wraps the heart in the fabric and places it on a small paper bag and carries it to the car as I join my man in the search. I would never ask anything of them that I wasn’t willing to do myself.

“Boss”, Leo calls through the earpiece.

“Yeah?”, I ask

“We got to go boss, you’re needed at the hospital”, Leo says and I don’t even let him finish his sentence, I start running outside and I can feel my heart beating fast. Really fast. Fear is taking over but I know better than let it cloud my mind and judgement.

“It’s Amber”, Leo says and I take a deep breath, I am not going to lie, I feel relieved that it’s not about Avery. My heart is beating so fast that I can honestly say I thought I would be having a heart attack.

“What now?”, I ask not really wanting to deal with some messed up situation she has gotten herself into.

“She’s gone into labour”, Leo says offering me a small smile and I offer him my hand to shake.

“Congratulations papa” I let out as we both get in the SUV and he starts driving us back to New York. I keep trying to call Avery but without any luck. Leo calls my surveillance team and asks them to track Avery, but they are struggling as her phone is off, they start to check city cameras and building cameras to try and pinpoint her location but she is nowhere to be found and for once I feel as if my heart is breaking.

We arrive at the maternity thirty minutes later and Leo sprints through the corridors with me walking in fast pace behind him. This kid is my godchild and I can’t wait to welcome him to this world. He is my nephew after all. My sister can be a pain in the ass, but she is still my little sister and I love her with all my heart.

I open the door to see Amber holding hands to Leo as the doctor passes them a small crying baby. I don’t even know how to explain what I am feeling right now. I walk around and stand next to my sister as she cries and kisses the top of the baby’s head. Leo has a couple of tears falling down and as his eyes meet mine I offer him a smile.

“We have an heir”, I say and Amber looks at me nodding her head. I never thought I would have a son myself so I always thought Amber would be the one providing the Heir, and she didn’t disappoint. My phone starts ringing and I excuse myself answering it in the corridor.

“Boss, We don’t have a location but I think something bad happened”, Riccardo says and I can’t help but throw my phone against the wall smashing it into a thousand little pieces.

“Everything okay?”, Leo asks as he opens the door and finds me sliding to the floor with my back against the wall as I hold my head between my hands. I shake my head.

“Shit”, he whispers and I nod my head, I look at him as he is kneeling now in front of me.

“They took her, I know they did, but I will find her, and I am going to rip everyone’s eyes out because they took her from me”, I let out and Leo nods his head in agreement.