My eyes peeled open slowly and I looked around. I was in my bedroom, wrapped in bandages with an IV in my hand. Pain seared through my entire body but not horribly. At least I wasn't dead. I tried to remember how I got here but couldn't.

I tried to remember what happened. The last thing I could remember was getting off of the plane from Puerto Rico with Lily. Lily...

I shot up, from my position in bed and screamed her name. If I was hurt, did that mean she was too? My heart raced.

Dante crashed into my bedroom with dark circles under his eyes.

"Lorenzo," he choked out.

He rushed over to me and hugged me, he looked like my little brother again. Only a little boy. His emotions were displayed clearly all over his face. Fear. Love. Relief.

'Dante, what happened," my voice was rough and dry.

"They ambushed us. Drove us both off the road. We were behind you, but they didn't hit us as bad as they did you. We got to you when it was too late."

"Too late?" I choked out. Lilly was dead. They killed her.

"They took Lilly," he spoke solemnly.

"No," I roared, even though I was weak still.

"How long have I been out, Dante?!"

"Only two days. I thought you were going to die. I thought you were already dead when I got to you, big brother." He hugged me again, with raw emotion showing.

I hugged him back tightly.

"I'm okay, I promise. I love you, Dante. I won't leave you so easily. Now, we need to find her."

Stefano and Alessio busted through the door, also looking emotional.

"Oh, brother!" they all hugged me tightly.

"Okay, okay, come on. I love you all, but this is a bit much. I'm fine."

"We know, we just wanted to trick you into giving us a hug," Alessio smirked, but it lacked all of the normal spitfires. His eyes had bags underneath as Stefano's did as well.

"We have been looking for Lily, and we found her. But, we can't go in guns blazing. It's your uncle. He has her, and he will only talk to you. We lied to him and had to tell him you were refusing, instead of telling him you were in a coma. You'd look weak and he would have killed her, you know how he is. He is a psychopath. If it's not useful to him, he'll throw it away.

"We have a three-day grace period, which ends today. So, from tomorrow till we get her, she's going to be... you know the drill," Dante drifted off. I could tell he was upset.

"Get him on the phone," I ground out.

My pulse was racing with anger. I let Lilly down. I put her in danger. She would be traumatized after this. She was probably terrified right now.

Dante put his phone up to my ear and I took it, listening to the ring. My free hand was balled in a tight fist and the one holding the phone was nearly crushing it.

"I figured you'd call eventually," he drawled.

"Give her back," I growled into the phone.

"Hand over the business, and I promise I'll give her back."

I looked up to see them all shaking their heads at me, trying to tell me that they know he was lying.

"Give me Lilly, or I kill all of the people you have working for you, leaving you helpless, and then I will-" I stopped abruptly. Stefano grabbed my leg. I took a deep breath, knowing that my uncle would take out his anger on my Lilly if I said anything too malicious.

Stefano looked at me warily. His eyes told me the same thoughts I was just thinking. I nodded and took another deep breath.

"Where do you want to meet?" I spoke slowly.

"Hmmm. My guys like her an awful lot. So, I think I'll let you sweat a little longer. They are itching to get their hands on her. Her voice is so pretty and they know her screams will definitely match," he chuckled.

I saw red and the phone broke in my hand. The glass cut my fingers but I didn't care.

I threw the phone at the nearest wall and screamed.

"E, he is lying. He said he is going to kill her regardless if you give him what he wants. We have it on the CCTV. I hacked it as soon as I found their location. I was suddenly torn, happy my brother was so good with computers but hated the fact that I could see her like this. I had to, but I wanted to be blind to it forever. I never wanted to see her in pain.

"Let me-"

"No." It was Alessio who spoke.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Which of you watched it?"

"All of us," Stef spoke.

"And you don't want you to?" I gritted.

"She's naked, and all drugged up. They haven't started the heavy stuff but they have been starving her too. She was already in bad shape from the crash."

"What do you mean haven't started the heavy stuff?"

"They have just been smacking her around and stuff, but she is mostly too out of it to understand what is going on."

"But, they'll start to really hurt her tomorrow." I felt lost.

They were all quiet.

We knew what they would do to a girl like her. She'd be destroyed. Even if they didn't kill her, she'd be nothing but a shell of who she was. She'd practically be dead. I pressed my palms into my eyes and waited a second.

I waited for some amazing plan to come to my head but nothing. I knew my only option here was a suicide mission, but at least she'd be safe.

"Give me a phone," I spoke quietly.

Stef slid his phone into my open palm and I called my uncle.

"Please, I want to be alone for this," I said it like I was embarrassed by my emotions but that wasn't the case. I needed them to leave because this was suicide and they'd never let me go through with it. They'd try to convince me to wait, so we could figure out a solid plan. But, we didn't have time, Lilly would be traumatized and she'd never be the same. I'd rather know she was alive and sane and be dead, than alive with a shadow of her. I was thankful my room was soundproof. They couldn't hear.

"Wow, that took longer than I thought. You have an awful temper Enzo. Worse than your father," he taunted but I ignored it. I didn't care.

"Put her on the phone."

"No."

"If I don't have proof she's alive, I'll never surrender my empire. I know you are not that stupid."

He growled but agreed. A minute later I heard slow breathing.

"Lilly, it's Enzo, baby."

"I heard nothing more than a weird high-pitched mewl from the other end. She was high. She probably didn't even know who was talking to her.

"I love you, angel. Please say something. It's me, Enzo. I need to know you can understand me. I'm gonna come get you, baby. You'll be safe with Lessi and Dante and Stef soon. They'll take care of you."

"Daddy," she whispered.

"She doesn't even know who you are, Lorenzo. She's begging for her father." He laughed loudly in the background.

He didn't put me on speakerphone which was a mistake. Lilly understood who I was. She was not as high as he thought.

"Lilly if you understand me, say your safe word. He'll think you are just uttering nonsense."

"Red," she slurred.

She was coherent but still a little slow from the drugs.

I almost started crying, knowing this was probably goodbye.

"Lilly, I love you. I love you so much, I'm sorry I let you down. I'm gonna get you out of there. My brothers will take care of you, Angel."

"Green," she slurred.

"Good baby." I knew she couldn't say the right words back.

"Daddy," she cried.

"I love you, Lilly."

"I love my daddy," she spoke to my uncle like she was high, but I knew what she meant. I knew she was telling me she loved me. She had no real father. He died long ago.

"I miss my dad," she cried.

He laughed and I heard a crack. He must have hit her. I clenched my teeth so hard I was surprised they didn't crack.

"Tonight. We'll meet. I will surrender to you. You can kill me. But you will hand Lilly over to Alessio first. Deal?"

"No fight?"

"No, I will give myself over. It is a promise. I do not break my promises as you do. You know that."

"I know. Make sure your inner circle does too. Otherwise, there will be a lot more bloodshed tonight. Not just yours."

"You will give Lilly to Alessio first. Otherwise, I know you will just kill her."

"Fine. But you must be unarmed. I'll be checking."

"I will. There will be no tricks. Just Lilly goes free and you get to kill me and run the empire."

"Good. I will come to your penthouse." He spoke.

"You're coming to me?" I was baffled. Was he really that stupid? I would have the advantage.

"Yes, I'm going to kill you in your own home. And I'm going to do it while your little circle watches. Don't you think it will be nice to get to say goodbye to your sweet Lilly before I gun you down on your knees?"

"Fine."

"Plus, I am taking the penthouse. It will be mine when you die. I know it's your favorite home that you own. I'm going to take everything from you."

But not my Lilly, I thought. That was something I could accept. I don't want to die, but I'd be happy knowing she was alive and safe with my brothers. They would take care of her. I didn't deserve her anyway. Her life went to shit because of me. I would never deserve her.

"Okay, fine," I agreed.

"Let me talk to her one more time. Please I'm begging."

"You're pathetic."

I didn't care.

I heard her slow breathing again.

"Am I on speaker?"

"No" she screamed like she was angry, to disguise her coherency.

"Lilly, this is goodbye. I love you. I am leaving guns all over the penthouse for you so that you are safe in case he tried to pull something. There will be one under the bathroom sink, in the fridge in the kitchen, one in every drawer. Under the couch cushions. Use them if you are in danger. Please. My brothers will not know about them. They will be unarmed when you come here. I love you, Angel. Be strong, baby. They will take care of you. You never have to work again, tell them to bring you to the Bermuda house, You will be safe and far from New York. If you understand, say you are hungry."

"I'm fucking starving, but I don't want to eat," I could hear the tears in her voice. She knew the plans didn't involve me.

"I love you," I whispered to her, wishing I could kiss her one more time. I wish I had known the last time I kissed her was the last. That there would be no happy ending for us. Lilly was going to have a happy ending, though, and I could die happy knowing that.

"I love you," she breathed out so silent I almost didn't hear it. My uncle didn't hear it either I was sure of that.

"I'll die loving you, baby," I promised and then hung up. I cried for a moment. Mourning the life I wanted with Lilly. To marry her. To make her happy. To see her smile every day.