Chapter 7 The Storm Before Impact

"No!" The word tore out of Isabella before she could stop it.

But Lorenzo didn't flinch as he had already made the call, setting things into motion. With men like him, once decisions were made, they were never undone.

"Lorenzo! You don't understand," Isabella said, her voice rising now, panic breaking through her control. "You can't just take him like that, he's not part of this world!"

"He became part of it the moment he was born mine." Lorenzo replied, his cold and steady gaze remaining fixed on her.

The words hit harder than any slap.

"No. No, you don't get to say that. You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw. You don't even know what they're capable of..." Isabella shook her head, backing away from him.

"Then tell me,tell me what I don't know." The sharpness in his voice cut through her panic.

She froze, because she couldn't at least not yet. Not without risking everything.

"Or I will find my own way." Lorenzo took a slow step toward her.

Her breath hitched.

"You already are," she said quietly. "And that's exactly what I'm afraid of."

For a moment, something flickered in his expression; but it was gone just as quickly.

"I don't deal in fear," he replied.

"I do, because I've lived it." she shot back. Silence falling between them again.

Then Lorenzo's phone buzzed, both of them stilled.

He pulled it out slowly, eyes still locked on Isabella as if daring her to move, to speak or to lie again.

Then he answered.

"Talk." he said simply, his expression not changing.

But Isabella saw it, that subtle shift and the slight tightening of his jaw. Something was definitely not right.

"Where?" Lorenzo asked.

"Stay there. I'm coming." he said as he ended the call.

Isabella's heart pounded.

"What happened?" she demanded but Lorenzo didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he slipped the phone back into his pocket, his gaze sharpening in a way that made her stomach drop.

"They're gone," he said.

The words didn't register at first.

"Who?"

"The child."

Her blood ran cold.

"No..." she whispered.

"The location was cleared out before my men got there." Lorenzo revealed as his expression darkened.

Isabella's hands began to shake.

"That's not possible," she said quickly. "I didn't tell anyone, I was careful and I'm sure no one knew where we were..."

"They knew." He said, his voice was quiet, deadly and final

Panic surged through her chest.

"No," she repeated, more desperately this time. "No, that doesn't make sense. I made sure..."

"Someone has been and is still watching you." the truth slammed into her.

Her mind raced; every place she had been, every face she had passed and every moment she thought she was safe.

"They found him..." she whispered, horror creeping into her voice.

"And they moved before I could." Lorenzo stepped closer.

And that meant only one thing. They weren't just watching, they were waiting for this exact moment.

For her to be exposed so that Lorenzo would step in. For everything to collide.

"This is your fault," Isabella said suddenly, her voice shaking with anger now. "If you hadn't dragged me here...if you had just let me leave..."

"If I had let you leave," Lorenzo cut in coldly, "you would have walked straight back to them blind and who knows they would have also taken you too."

Her breath caught.

"Don't you dare twist this..."

"I'm not twisting anything," he said sharply. "I'm telling you the truth you don't want to hear."

Her chest tightened painfully.

"Matteo..." she whispered, the name slipping out, soft and broken.

But in the silence of the room, it echoed. Lorenzo went completely still as he slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers.

"Matteo," he repeated.

Isabella's heart dropped. She had said his name and he had heard it. She had just given him the one thing she had tried so hard to protect.

"My son already has a name," he said quietly, eyes darkened, as something dangerous settled deep within them.

Her breath trembled.

"He's just a child," she said quickly. "He doesn't know anything about this...he doesn't know about you..."

"That changes now." he cut in.

"No!" She screamed and stepped forward, grabbing his arm without thinking.

"You can't just walk into his life... not like this... he doesn't need this world, Lorenzo, he doesn't need you like this..."

Lorenzo looked down at her hand on his arm then back at her.

"And you think he needs to be hunted?" he asked.

The question hit her hard because she didn't have an answer, just raw, unrelenting fear.

Lorenzo gently removed her hand from his arm.

"He's already in danger," he said. "The difference is that now I'm involved."

"And that makes it worse," she whispered.

"You still don't trust me." he said as something sharp flickered in his eyes again.

"I trust what I've seen." Isabella swallowed.

"And what exactly did you see?" he pressed.

Her silence was enough.

Lorenzo nodded slowly.

"Fine, you can keep your secrets," he said as he turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Isabella asked as her heart raced.

"To get my son back." The finality in his tone sent chills through her.

"You don't even know where to look..." she began

"I know enough." He reached the door, then paused.

Without turning, he added.

"And whoever took him? They just declared war." A dangerous calm settled into his voice.

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Isabella clenched her fists because it was clear that this wasn't just about power anymore. It was not personal.

The door opened as Lorenzo stepped out.

And just like that everything changed.

Isabella stood frozen in the middle of the room, her heart pounding, tears streaming down her face, she began sobbing.

Matteo was gone, her poor baby had just been taken away from her because of this world and because of him. And now there was no running anymore and she had no other choice left than to fight.

To fight alongside anyone who cared to join her to keep her son, the only person who meant the world to her safe, to make sure none of them had to over their shoulders again.

As the door shut behind Lorenzo, sealing the silence once again, Isabella whispered through her only thought that remained:

"Please be safe..." deep down, she knew the real danger was only just beginning.

*****

Across the city, a small boy sat alone in the back of black, tinted SUV unaware that the war for his life had just begun.