SEAN

"What do we do with him?" Thomas asked all of sudden, breaking my chain of thoughts. I was sitting on the sofa in the lounge, tapping my feet on the cold floor inpatient, waiting for my men to trace Penny's location. It has been hours but we had no luck finding anything. It wasn't a surprise, I already had a hunch that they weren't going to repeat the mistake of letting anyone trace them.

"Boss?" Thomas repeated.

I looked towards the two men bowed on their knees, looking towards me with pleading eyes. These were the father and son duo who betrayed me by sending that Marco Machiavelli to my house instead.

"I swear they forced us to lie to you." The older man said.

"Forced? Is that what we call bribing these days?" I asked in a furious voice.

"We... We didn't know..." The real Jason spoke this time and my head whipped to his sullen face. "Forgive us. It was a stupid mistake."

His words forced me to leave the sofa and walk closer to him. Once I reached near the wall, I leaned down and gripped him by his hair. "Your mistake has endangered someone's life, someone who is very dear to me. Tell me, how can I forgive you?"

My nostrils flared as I looked deep into his light eyes filled with terror. It has been months since I did something terribly evil but right now, I wanted nothing more than hang both of these upside down in the middle of the city so nobody would dare disobey me from now onwards.

"Sean!" Lucas called my name and I loosened my hold on Jason. "There's a call on the landline."

"Lock them in the basement." I said before walking to my study room where the landline was being kept. Lucas has put it on speaker and I could hear whispers from the other side.

"It's me. Paolo." The person on the other end finally said.

"Paolo, let her go. You don't want to be my enemy right now." I said, gritting my teeth.

"I think we became enemies the minute you let her in your house." He replied in a cold tone. "But doesn't mean we can't have a truce. I know you have the proofs of some of our wrongdoings. Give them back and take her."

"I'm going to take her back, with or without truce." I said threateningly.

"Speaking of her...." It was Enzo this time who probably had an evil grin on his face right now. "Wanna hear her voice?"

There was some shifting on the other side after which Penny spoke, "Sean, don't listen to them. I'm fine. I'm... Ah..." She yelped loudly and I gripped the table in frustration.

"Leave her asshole. I swear I'm going to kill you when I see you." I growled loudly.

"Sean..." Penny cried as I heard a slap. I gripped my hands into a tight fist. I felt helpless for not being able to do anything and it was the worst feeling ever.

"Penny, I'll save you. Trust me." I said in a helpless voice.

"Enough lovebirds. Sean, you have one day. I know you won't risk going to FBI given your own crimes so you have no other option. Give all the proofs to us and we'll never disturb you both again." Paolo said.

"Sean... Don't listen to them. Remember, God will help us in this darkness." Penny said from behind but she was interrupted.

"One day, Miller. You better move or you'll receive her deadbody." Enzo said and cut the call.

A deep, throaty growl left my mouth and I punched the wall. Pain shot through my skin but it couldn't be compared to the pain of losing Penny, even in my imagination.

•°•°•°•

An hour later, Lucas and I were sitting in the lounge again, pondering over the right plan of action. We could give the proofs to them but that would mean Elijah died for nothing and Penny would never forgive me for that. Plus, Machiavelli's will keep on trafficking millions of girls every year and even as a criminal myself, my conscience wasn't allowing me to hide this.

The other option was to go to FBI, but that could risk Penny's life and also, I had successfully stayed out of their radar all these years and doing that would put me there. It would risk everything I built and more. Sooner or later, they will find something against me and I'll lose everything.

"Any lead about where they are keeping her?" I asked Lucas and he shook his head in no.

What was the point of being a scary mobster when I couldn't even protect the one woman I truly loved? Wait, where did that come from? Did I really love Penny? Fuck, that's not even important right now. I need to save her first, my emotions could wait.

My mind was stuck on Penny's painful screams when suddenly, something clicked in my brain. The last sentence Penny said to me.

"God will guide us out of the darkness." I repeated and Lucas looked at me. "These were Penny's last words to me."

"I didn't know she was religious." He said callously.

"She isn't." I leaned forwards, resting my hands on my thighs. "What could she mean by that? Is that some sort of hint about her location?"

"What could she mean by God?" Lucas said.

"A church perhaps." I said.

"There are over a million churches in America." He said.

"They couldn't have gone far yet. It has hardly been 8 hours so that narrows it down." I pointed out.

"Narrows it down to a couple of thousands?" Lucas said mockingly.

"She said God will lead us out of darkness. What's darkness? Are they in a tunnel?" I asked.

"Highly unlikely." Lucas said and then after a brief moment of thinking, he chirped in. "She could mean a jungle."

"A church. A jungle. She is being kept near a church in a forest." My eyes lit up as a hope of finding her filled me. "Thomas, I need a list of all the churches in the forest areas around Chicago. Be quick."

Thomas nodded and left in a minute, leaving me with Lucas.

"What will you do? Are we going to go fight or do you have a more logical plan?" Lucas asked.

"I'm going to inform FBI." I said and his eyes widened.

"You can't do that. You will risk both of us and everything we worked for." Lucas groaned, looking at me like I've completely lost it.

"Don't worry. I won't put you on any risk." I said calmly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"Because you are leaving America and shifting to London with our legal business. I'll erase your name from any of our criminal activities. It's like you never existed." I replied.

"You can't do that, Sean." Lucas stood up in defense. "This is my life."

"No, this is my life. Yours doesn't have to be this way. I'll talk to Bailey. He'll look over the transition." I said.

"I won't go. You can't make me." Lucas' voice started to break as he kicked the table angrily.

"I can." I said and then decided to use the only name that could soften him. "I know about Peter. Don't make me use him to make you leave."

"You can't do that. Please. Let me stay here with you." He whispered.

"You said it yourself. What I'm going to do next is going to risk everything. FBI will keep a closed eye on us and if they found something against us, I don't want you here." I said in a tone that left no space for argument.

Lucas' shoulders slumped in defeat and he walked out. Right now, he might be hating my decision but one day, he will realize that I made him do the right thing. His life didn't need to be such a mess. He could live like a prince in London while I manage this dirty game.

•°•°•°•°•

Thomas had found the lead. We had narrowed the hundreds of churches down to seven and now, I was going on the rescue mission.

I was getting dressed hurriedly when the door to my room opened and Hailey walked in. I was in no mood of dealing with her right now so I asked her politely to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere. I heard that girl is missing and you're probably going to save her, like a knight in shining armour." She said.

"If you know that, why are you bothering me?" I said and attempted to walk out of the room but she blocked my path.

"No. You are my fiance and I don't want you to go. Send someone else." She said, rested one hand on my shoulder.

"Let me go." I said, controlling myself from forcing her out of my way.

"No. You need me, remember?" She said and attempted to kiss me.

"Get out, right now." I said, glaring into her eyes.

"No. I'm not leaving and neither are you." She grinned. "I'm your fiancé, remember?"

"Fine." I said and held her other hand, one that had my ring in it. "You left me no choice." I said and slid the ring out of her finger.

"Sean!" She yelled at me.

"Now.... Get.... Out." I said in a tone of warning because I have had enough.

With her face filled with shock, she took a step back. Leaving her standing bewildered, I walked past her out of the room and then to the outside. It was about time I get that extra baggage of my back.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•