Chapter 8 - Unleashed
Julian returned to the manor an hour later. The moment he stepped through the front doors, his instincts screamed that something was wrong. The air was too still.
"Dante!" Julian barked.
Dante jogged into the foyer, his face pale. "Boss. Two of the perimeter guards were found unconscious by the service gate. Chloroform."
Julian’s heart stopped. He didn't ask questions; he sprinted to the west wing, tearing open the door to Sophia’s room. It was empty. The bed was unmade. Her laptop was still running on the desk.
He ran to the kitchen. A single ceramic coffee mug lay shattered on the floor.
Julian felt a horrifying, blinding rage explode inside his chest. It was a fury so absolute, so entirely consuming, that Dante actually took a step back when Julian turned around.
"They took her," Julian whispered, his voice trembling with a violence that promised unimaginable bloodshed.
"We'll find her, Julian. I'm pulling city traffic cams right now," Dante said quickly.
"Pull every man we have," Julian commanded, his eyes turning to black ice. "Empty the clubs. Empty the casinos. Arm everyone. If the Sterlings want a war, they are going to get a massacre."
His phone rang. It was an unknown number. Julian answered it and put it on speaker.
"Hello, Julian," Victoria’s sickeningly sweet voice echoed through the room.
May you like
"If you touch one hair on her head, Victoria, I will peel your skin off while you breathe," Julian stated, devoid of all emotion.
Victoria laughed. "Such big words for a man whose little pet is currently tied to a chair in a very dark room. You burned my father’s pier. So, we are going to make a trade."
