Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 844 : Emilia Comes First

*Elio*

Nothing more was said between Cat and me for the rest of the unbearably long plane ride. Cat turned to look out the window, her whole body tensed in a ball as if she would never unravel again. She didn’t look at me once, and her silence hurt worse than any physical blow.

Lost in thought, consumed by anxiety, all I could do was sit and wait in the silence. Every time my eyes slid closed, exhaustion came to grip me, I swore I could hear Emilia’s cries echoing in my head.

How could I rest, I thought guiltily, when our child faced who knew what kind of terror? If this was the kind of horror that my parents had experienced when I was a child, then I understood now why they had left.

It felt like I was choking on guilt, like monsters had opened up my chest and were drilling into the deepest core, whispering the blame into my ears, laughing as they piled jagged rocks of misery onto my back, and all I could do was to keep moving one foot in front of the other, an uphill climb that never seemed to end.

Every part of me felt tainted with an unspeakable agony like shackles tied around my ankles as I was dropped into an ocean, struggling for even a moment of breath before I was dragged back down again.

If I lingered even just a moment in this desolation and acknowledged the demons even once, I would be lost.

The only thing keeping me from falling into the abyss was the knowledge that Emilia was still alive, that she was still out there, waiting for us to get to her. That sliver of hope was enough that I soldiered on, pressing every inch of my emotions down deep into a crevice until all I could feel was apathy.

I didn’t have time to unravel the guilt or point fingers for who was to blame. I couldn’t wallow in the sorrow of my failure. Cat was right, after all. Our primary concern was Emilia, getting her back before any more harm could fall upon her.

I turned to stare out the endless blanket of the sky outside the window, and I etched a vow into my soul as the stars witnessed.

As soon as she was back in our arms, safe and sound, I would make Junior pay for every hour of terror that we had faced while she was missing. I would make him regret ever laying a hand on my family until he was begging for mercy.

And if there was even the slightest scratch on our beloved child, I swore on my family’s name that I would pay it back a hundredfold.

Vengeance was suited for men like him. Bastards like him deserved nothing more than the cruelest pit of hell, and I would be the one to deliver him to the flames.

As the flight rumbled below our feet, signaling our descent back into LA, I steeled myself for what I needed to do. The ruthless tyrant pushed back any weakness. The blood inside of my veins burning.

I would show them exactly what the Don of the Valentinos could do.

And I would make them all pay.

Cat and I unbuckled as soon as it was safe to do so, heading down the steel platform, where a sleek black car was waiting for us. Two of my men nodded to us as we approached and I sent them a dark look.

“Head to the warehouse. Top speed,” I demanded.

“Yes, sir,” the driver replied, getting into the front seat. I opened up the back, letting Cat slide in first before I followed her.

She still didn’t say a word, her jaw clenched with a cold look in her eyes as she slid one leg over the other, leaning back like a queen ready to send the enemy to execution.

It had been ten long hours since we’d received the call, and it was nearing three in the morning when we pulled in. My back and legs ached, stiff from being in one place as I climbed out of the car.

As soon as I helped Cat out, her looking no better than I felt, I spotted Leo approaching from a distance. There was a grim look to his eyes, sympathy dripping off of him and normally, I would appreciate it.

But jet-lagged, muscles stiff and aching, and exhausted, I was in no mood for pleasantries.

Luckily, Leo knew how to handle the mood.

He silently opened up his arms, and I saw Cat’s icy expression falter for a second, her hands trembling as she stepped forward. Just that smallest form of consent was all that Leo needed as he pulled her into a gentle hug.

“I’m sorry,” I heard him whisper.

I saw Cat nod silently, her eyes shining with tears as she glanced over at me tiredly. I didn’t say a word and she didn’t either, but we both knew how the other was feeling.

His support meant everything to Cat right now.

“Franky’s upstairs. We got you some coffee and a water. It’ll be a long night,” Leo informed her gently, his voice softer than I’d ever heard him as he pulled back, letting Cat slip away with a shaky nod.

We both watched her as she left, heading inside with slow movements, her back hunched and head bowed. My heart ached for a moment as for the first time in a long time, I realized just how small and fragile she looked.

I’d always relied on her as my strength, but now more than ever, she needed me.

“Elio....”

I glanced at Leo with a blank look, and before I could even register it, Leo had pulled me into a loose hug as well. He was warm, and I didn’t realize I was cold until this moment, but it was enough.

This was enough.

“We’ll get her back, Elio, whatever it takes,” Leo gave me a look full of confidence, a determination burning in his eyes like he’d never even considered failure to be an option.

I didn’t have the words to tell him, but the part of me that had been drowning surfaced long enough to take a breath.

A little bit of strength returned as I nodded with a similar resolve.

Leo stepped back, holding out his hand and I easily clasped it, Leo firmly telling me, “We’ll make that bastard regret the day he was ever born.”

A small smirk curled up my lips.

“Thanks,” I said hoarsely, unable to say anything more.

I didn’t have the strength to tell him how touched I was that he would be willing to do this for my child, how much I appreciated him comforting us first and foremost, nor how much I valued his friendship with me.

But Leo just grinned, and I knew he understood. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“Come on, let’s get to work.” Leo gestured to the warehouse, slinging an arm around my neck as we headed inside.

The base was a flurry of movement, our men running back and forth hurriedly, and Leo called out a few orders as we passed through, completely in charge and in his element.

I had to admit, he handled it all well, much better than the mess I currently was.

Once we got upstairs, I could hear Cat’s soft voice speaking lowly into her phone and Franky staring at the monitors on the wall.

“It’s okay, Mom. You have nothing to be sorry for. I know you fought like hell for her.” Cat’s voice was thick with emotion. “Leave the rest of it to us. Focus on getting better. Emilia’s gonna need her grandma once we get her back. I know. I love you too.”

Cat hung up the phone, finally turning to me with an exhausted look. Despite knowing neither of us was in the best frame of mind, I knew she needed my support right now. I reached out gently, intertwining our hands. I gave a soft squeeze, and she sighed, looking up at me before squeezing back.

I heard what she left unsaid.

“Elio. Cat.” Franky turned to us with a frown, nodding his head to the screens in front of us. There was surveillance footage being played, and cameras pointed at a parking lot.

I saw the glowing neon sign of the supermarket just around the corner from our compound, the one Matilde always went to. I stiffened as her car pulled into the lot, followed by the black car of her guards. She’d just pulled in, stepping out of the car, when the screens went black.

When they came on again, the timestamp was ten minutes later. Matilde’s feet could be seen hanging out of the backseat of her car, the baby’s car seat left sprawled out abandoned on the ground and harsh tire tracks imprinted into the lot. There were piles of blood underneath a few of the unmoving corpses of the guards.

“Fuck,” I said exasperatedly at the gruesome scene.

Cat had turned pale and though she had just spoken with her mom, knowing she was okay, I could see her eyes pinned on the sight of her in the footage.

I turned to Franky, knowing he wouldn’t hold back as I asked, “Have there been any demands yet?”

Leo stiffened in the corner of my eye and Franky’s lips thinned as he gave a stern nod.

“They contacted me only a few hours ago. We were waiting for you and Cat until we sent back a response,” Franky said, looking me straight in the eye with a solemn look. “They want to make a trade. Two people.”

“Let me guess.” I gave a bitter smile, crossing my arms.

“Elio and me,” Cat said quietly.

There was no surprise when Franky gave a stiff nod. I grit my teeth, my first instinct to shout out no.

I was fully willing to trade myself, but Cat....

Emilia needed her mother.

But I didn’t dare to say it as I glanced at Cat’s expression from the corner of my eye. She held a look of steel-like resolve.

I knew my wife. And I knew that she wouldn’t dare let me say no to this, not for her sake.

‘Emilia comes first.’ Cat’s voice echoed in my head and I set my jaw, shutting my eyes tightly. I hated this. I hated every bit of this but... I’d been selfish for too long. This mess was caused by me, and Cat was right.

Emilia had to come first.

“Elio.” Cat gave me a sharp look, and I heaved a sigh.

“Make the call,” I told Franky bitterly.

“Understood,” Franky nodded, whipping out his phone. He was barely on the call for a minute before he hung up, turning back to us. “We have a location. The meeting is set for the morning.”

“Then we have a few hours to set this up,” I said firmly. “He won’t be getting away with this.”

Cat squeezed my hand, her agreement resonating through me.

We’d show him what hell truly looked like.