★LUCIANO★

Guilt slammed me in the gut as soon as my eyes flung open. Reminiscing the way I spoke to Janie yesterday, my stomach tightened into a knot. She doesn't deserve that.

Raising my voice at a lady was not part of my ethics since my mother groomed me into being a well-cultured lad.

So I rubbed my eyelids and proceeded to shuffle out of the bed.

Once again, those darn birds made it a routine to chirp their morning songs behind my window.

Fuming, I jolted to my feet, shoved the window blind up, and watched in silence.

If I wasn't an animal lover, putting a bullet through each one of their stupid fluffy body should be icing on the cake.

“Figlio di puttana!" I cursed under my breath before strutting out of my room, straight to Janie's room.

On getting there, I was about to press down the knob but I refrained from doing so. Instead, I knocked twice and waited patiently for her to respond to me.

Yet, there was no response.

“Janie,” I called softly before knocking again.

Still, no response.

With that, I pressed down on the knob and yank the door open. Alas, the room was empty. I strode to her bathroom to check and there was still no sign of her.

Maybe she is in the kitchen, I thought to myself.

On that note, I strolled to the kitchen. However, everything looked neat, tidy, and cold. It indicated no one has been there this morning.

It was then panic surged through my veins. Blood rushed to my head all at once, as I stormed all the places in the mansion in search of Janie, still, I couldn't find her.

My mind was becoming its own disaster. Rushing back to my room, I watched every single clip on the surveillance camera, only to find out that Janie left the house late, last night.

She fucking left!

My pupils dilated in shock as I observed the clip one more time. This was Italy, not America. She wouldn't be able to find her way around here.

Picking up my phone from the bedside table, I grabbed a shirt from my closet and stormed out of the room, heading straight to the lounge.

With my shirt in one hand, I used the other to dial Gerald's number and he picked it up immediately after one beep.

“Good morning, Boss."

“I don't think it would be a good morning for you and Glenn." I retorted between gritted teeth. “The both of you should come to the lounge this instant!” I commanded and hung up afterward.

Pacing back and forth in the lounge, I quickly shoved the shirt to cover my naked torso, and it was then Glenn and Gerald sprinted into the lounge, panting heavily.

“Get the keys to the SUV, we are leaving now," I said, strutting out of the mansion, while they followed right behind me.

“Where are we heading to, Boss?" Glenn inquired and I paused in my steps, then turned sideways to face him.

“If I answer that, thus it would be the last question you will ever get to ask in your entire life." I sneered, clenching my fist.

“My apologies, Boss.” Glenn bowed instantly and I hastened my pace towards the SUV.

My blood was boiling in seething rage. I didn't know what my men were doing last night that they didn't notice Janie's disappearance even till this moment.

At one point, I felt like unleashing my fury on them. But on a second thought, I decided against it. Let's call this a silly mistake and find Janie first.

Gerald pressed the beep on the SUV, then slid the door open for me to enter. When I did, I unlocked my phone and tried dialing Janie's number. However, I got to realize that it was turned off and there was no way I could track her location.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I cursed, banging my fist repeatedly against the window shield of the SUV.

Glenn and Gerald spared me a questioning look without uttering a word. After a second of silence, Gerald eventually cleared his throat and asked;

“Boss, it would be nice if you can tell us where we are heading to. I need to know the exact location to input on the GPS.” He pointed out.

Clenching and unclenching my jaw, I brought my dead gripping glare to them. “We are driving through every nook and cranny of Tuscany.”

Glenn and Gerald gave each other a quizzical look, still not understanding my point. And it was then I decided to reveal it to them.

“Janie is missing, dammit!”

“What?" Glenn gasped in shock.

Having a shocked expression plastered on his face, Gerald didn't bother saying anything. Instead, he turned, ignited the engine, and zoomed out of the driveway to the main tarred road.

“Where do you think she could be at the moment, Boss?" Gerald asked again, taking a sharp turn.

I shook my head warily. “I can't say. The lady doesn't know a damn place in Tuscany.”

Although my tone sounded calm, my guts were riling up a storm. All I hoped for right now, was for Janie to be safe. Since she left last night, anything could have happened. Those stupid motherfucking jerks could try to take advantage of an innocent-looking girl walking around in the middle of the night.

What if she has already been murdered?

My heart skipped a beat.

No, that cannot be. I tried to shove that thought aside and grasp only the positive aspect.

But what if a car knocked her down and her body lay lifeless in one of the streets? I thought again.

“We are at Collodi, Boss. Let's start from here.” Glenn announced, jolting me out of my reverie and I wasted no time in alighting the SUV.

My men followed suit.

“Signor!” I called out to a middle-aged man and then went over to him.

After greeting and describing Janie's features, he declined seeing anyone like that.

Glenn and Gerald asked other people and whilst doing so, we combed through the town of Collodi. Yet, she was nowhere to be found.

Leaving Collodi, we touched down at San Gimignano, Cortona, Suveretto, Monteriggioni, and Montepulciano. Even so, there was still no sight of Janie.

Frustrated, I shoved my fingers into my disheveled hair as I scanned around once more, wishing she could just pop out of thin air.

The developing knot in my stomach tightened another notch and I cannot believe Janie was still missing even after searching more than six towns.

“Why don't we check public places like the beach?" Glenn suggested and Gerald snapped his fingers. “That's a fantastic idea.”

Without a second thought, I hopped on the SUV and we went to the first place that came to mind. Spiaggia di Sansone in Livorno.

Parking the SUV for the umpteenth time, we alighted at once and the both of them stood in front of me, awaiting my instructions.

“First, we move in different directions and comb through the beach. We return to this same spot after ten minutes.”

“Noted, Boss.” They chorused before dispersing in different directions as instructed. While I took to my left.

A part of me prayed to find Janie here. I don't mind sweeping through more towns, but the quicker I find Janie, the better it would be.

Not minding the sharp sands that prickled my feet, I removed my shoes and continued searching for Janie. My eyes scanned through the ladies in bikinis and those lurking around, laughing and playing.

Yet, there was not a single person that looked like her.

On the verge of returning to the SUV, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful flowing black hair lady seated at the shore with her knees dragged to her chest.

Janie!

My heart leaped for joy and I almost jumped out of excitement as a faint smile of relief tugged the corners of my lips.

“I finally found you.” those words escaped my lips as I doubled my step over to her.

Even while I stood behind her, she didn't seem to notice my presence. I heard her heave a sigh, prompting a wave of despair to overwhelm me.

Thereafter, I tapped her gently on her left shoulder.

She hastily snapped her head toward my direction, and my heart plummeted into my stomach the moment I noticed the fear and tears in her eyes.

“Luciano.” She breathed, surprised.

And to my utmost dismay, she shuffled to her feet and then latched her arms around me in a small hug.

“I never thought I would be so excited to see you in my entire life. But right now, I'm beyond grateful.” Her voice cracked into tiny sobs.

For a moment, I wanted to scold her for leaving the mansion. Nevertheless, I gave it a second thought and decided against it. So instead, I wrapped my arms around the small of her back.

“Janie..... I'm sorry for yelling at you last night. I didn't mean any of it. I literally didn't mean you should leave.”

She raised her head and narrowed those beautiful blue eyes at me. Damn, they swept me in more than the sea itself. “I am sorry about your mom too. I didn't know you went to bury her.”

Her apology melted my heart and every anger built inside me, dissolved at once.

“It's fine,” I stroked my fingers through her silky hair.

Just then, the heavy sound of sporadic gunshots filled the atmosphere. People started yelling as they scrambled for safety, while I clutched Janie tighter to me as I observed the direction it was coming from.

Amid the chaos, Glenn and Gerald found their way back to me, breathing heavily.

“What is going on?" I asked them.

Glenn took in a deep breath before saying; “It seems like one of the mafia groups noticed us when we were looking around for Janie. The person I noticed among those men is your sworn enemy, Luigi.”

My pupils dilated in shock.

We have to run! We have to run! I reckoned to myself over and over again.

Although I am not one to run from battles, however because of this fragile being in my arms, I have to.

My eyes feasted upon Janie's terrified ones before asking. “Can you run?"

She issued me a slow, affirmative nod. “Yes.”

“Good. Now, buckle up!”