Damon

"Doll" I turned towards her. She was standing there. She looked so fragile. I reached her and pulled her in my embrace and kissed her. Kissed her hard. "Don?" She asked me confused as I broke the kiss leaving her breathless. I cupped her cheeks "Doll. What you have been through in the last 42hours you will never go through that again. I will never let you get trapped in such fear. I will keep you safe. I love you Doll and I promise you I will save your brother. But I need you to promise me that you will never hide anything from me. No matter what the threat is you will come to me. No one and I mean no one will come before you and I. No one will come between you and I. Promise me Doll." "I promise." She said looking me in the eye. "I am sorry Don. I lied to you. I was rude with you. I know how wrong it was to hide Russo's whereabouts from you. But believe me I cursed myself every moment. My guilt ate me more than my fear. I am so sorry Don." She said and I know she was saying it with true heart. I understand her fear why she didn't say anything. I have seen her loosing her mind. "That night in the woods I screamed your name but he cut me off. I wanted to run to you but I couldn't free myself from him. His hold was so strong-" "He touched you?" I asked, and now my anger was on another level. She was silent, instinctively her hand went to my initials marked on her. I held her hand "Did he touch you? Here?" I asked touching my mark. "He-he" she was not able to make the sentence. Her eyes went to Ric and Enzo. I could see how uncomfortable she is telling in front of them. So I didn't push her. I will ask her later. And he will pay for everything he did to her. Fuck I was right here and she was in danger few feet from me and I couldn't save her. Hell with the promises I do?

"Ric check and restore the conversations they had on call. Maybe we can get something about the location." I gave him the phone and he connected it to his laptop. He mapped the software with her calls. "The calls aren't encrypted?" Sophia asked. "They are but I can crack it." Ric told her. "Oh" she said. "Here you go" he said motioning to me. I reached there and picked up the headphones to listen.

"Fuck" I threw the headphones. "There is nothing in these calls. Just him trying to scare her. No background noise. Nothing different."

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" I asked her irritated. That sick fuck was terrifying her, blackmailing her and I was ignorant about her pain. "I was scared. He would have killed Chuck." She said softly. "Well you told me now?" I said. It came out harsh than I intended. Her eyes told me that she's hurt. But she didn't voice that out. She just wiped her tears that reappeared on my comment "I-I didn't mean that way. It's just I don't like the idea of anyone harassing you and I am unaware." I said trying to cover up. She gave me a half smile and nodded. But I know I fucked up and Enzo's look was saying exactly the same.

"What's the plan?" asked Ric. "Any word on Lola?" I asked Enzo. I told him to get the guards ask Lola about Chuck's whereabouts. "You are keeping an eye on Lola too? But why, you can't go spying on everyone." Sophia said interrupting us. "Sophia, how about I do my job without anyone telling me what I can and can't do" I said a bit too sternly. Maybe my timing is wrong I know she is upset but I really can't take anyone meddling with me. "I-I am sorry" she said looking down.

"Do I have to ask hundred times to get the reply" I said to Enzo. In a way my anger washed over him. "I got the report on Lola. She and Charles kind of broke up last month. She hasn't had anymore than casual encounters at college." Enzo told me. "They broke up! Why? How's -" Sophia blurted but stopped midway as her eyes met mine. "Sophia why don't you go and wait in the room. I will let you know when you are required." I said to her. I can't take her getting disturbed on every little thing. "No! I-I am sorry. I won't interrupt again. Please don't keep me out." She pleaded and I looked at both Enzo and Ric and they are kind of siding with her. I sighed "Fine, but Doll make this the last time you spoke when not spoken to. While you are here, only speak when I ask you to. Got it?" I told her sternly getting a disapproved look from Enzo. But I have very little time and I can't comfort her every now and then. She need to get herself together. I looked her waiting for the response. She was looking down embarrassed that I kind of scolded her. "Got it Sophia?", she knows I hate it when she do not reply me. "Y-yes Don" she said in a low voice. Her eyes were filled with silent tears. I let out a sigh. Fuck, why I am being such an asshole.

I took her face in my hands. "Hey Doll, look I know I acted like a jerk but you need to understand we have only few hours, I can't afford to have you distracted on everything, huh." I said in a calmer voice trying to not hurt her more than she already is. She nodded with a smile. "I don't have any complaints. I knew why you said what you said. I don't want to increase your troubles. I am sorry." She said softly. God, she is so sweet. I kissed her forehead "I will save Charles. I promise you Doll" I said to her. "I know" she said and her eyes were telling me she trust me...maybe too much.

"Does Lola told when he came to college last?" I asked Enzo. "Not after his birthday." "Huh..." I turned towards my laptop and opened the software that has footage of the CCTV around his building. No movements how?? Maybe because he actually never left .

"Roscoe" I said over the phone as I called the police chief. "I am sending you an address, a 17year boy is kidnapped and kept over there. Save him. Of the records, mind you. And don't kill the kidnappers I will do the honors myself". I kept the phone on hold for a moment and asked her "Doll, what time Russo said he will meet you?" "12am" she told me speaking for the first time since I told her not to. I put phone back to my ear "Make sure you go there after midnight" I said with a smirk. I gave him Charles address and concluded the call. I can't risk them taking Russo down or the other way round. Russo has to leave before they reach.

"You think Russo kept him in his own apartment?" Ric asked all bewildered. "I don't think so, I know so. See the footage around his building. He didn't leave the building at all. Lola said he didn't come to college after his birthday. Now he was supposed to come here, and that's what we were thinking that Russo might have kidnapped him on the way. But how when he hasn't left the building. Now I can't see any disguised or shady people going inside the building but there are always different routes to get in but why Charles will use a shady route to come out. Our men say he didn't leave the building but his apartment has activity inside which assured them that he is inside. So from where will you kidnap someone you who never left his room." I told him my analysis.

"What if he has taken him somewhere from his apartment?" Enzo asked me. "Hmmm...guess we have to find out" I said. "Time to brief the men. We are going to take Russo" I said with a satisfied smile.

"C-Can I say something?" Sophia asked hesitantly. "Of course Love, don't care about your asshole husband." Enzo said ridiculing my earlier behavior.

"I-I think someone from the house gave Russo the information." She said. "Why would you say that?" Enzo asked her exchanging looks with us. "He knows things about us I don't think people outside the house knows." She said.

"Like?" I asked her. "He knows how we met..."she said. "Sister in law sadly that's not much of secret." Ric said and he is right. "Ya...but-but he also knows you call me Doll" she said hesitantly. "That's too is not of a secret" said Ric.

"No, she is right. The only time we made appearance in public before our associates and cartels was when I introduced her at wedding party. I said thinking. "And you didn't address me as Doll there" she said. "Exactly it cannot be some associate, businessman, or rival cartel. It has to be the men who stay here." I pointed. "Also he knew I once killed someone. And that I got Chuck back in my life after long. No one except us knows about me killing Adrien." She told us confirming my doubt. "Maybe he got that out of Chuck, he is aware of all this" Ric made a genuine point. "Hmmm maybe, maybe not. I mean he came here. In our house. How do you think you can enter the fences even through the woods without having any assistance." I retorted. .

"So you are saying...?" Ric said trying to confirm our doubt. "Yeah...I am saying that we got ourselves a rat brother" I said.

"Doll, how about you wait in our room and I will come get you". I said to her. She tried to protest but then she controlled herself seeing the disapproval in my eyes.

With this new news I need to be very careful while planning this out I can't loose Russo. After years I can finally take revenge of Laeila's every tear drop. This can't go wrong. I can't mess this up.

"Doll" I stopped her as she reached the door. She turned towards me asking "Yes Don?" "No one apart from the people standing here in this room should know about this. Only 4 of us will know about this. Right now I don't want you to share this to anyone, not even the people we trust. Like Caprice, Alysia even Charles. Ok Doll?" I told her trying to explain her how crucial it is to keep it to ourselves. "Yes Don." She said without even a hint of a doubt or question and turn to leave.

"Soph" Enzo stopped her just before she opened the door. He went towards her. "Now I know he will not like what I am going to do but I have to do this." He said and hugged her. Her eyes widened in surprise and she was scared, of course she was, last time the way I reacted when she touched Enzo was enough to scare her for life and yes my fist clenched today too, he is right I don't like it. She is mine and I don't like the idea of anyone else touching her even with good intentions like right now I know Enzo will never hurt her or betray me still it wasn't soothing to my eyes looking her in his arms. But I tried to be logical and I am happy that for once I was able to overpower the psychotic jerk inside me. She has been through a lot and she needs our support she needs reassurance from her friend that everything will be fine and she is not alone in the fight. So I tried to keep my possessiveness at bay and gave her half a nod telling her that she need not to be scared of hugging Enzo. And she hugged him back because like I said she was freaking out and she needed her friend. "Thank you Soph" he said breaking the hug and she looked at him with questions like not understanding the reason he thanked her for. "For not putting my life in danger. You didn't break the trust our friendship is and I promise you Soph I will get you out of this mess that you are not supposed to be trapped in even if I have to die for it" he said with full determination and I know he will keep his promise no matter the price. "Don't say this Enzo." She said but before she could complete her sentence Ric interrupted them "He is right sister in law. You had enough. We will save Charles and you no matter the risk. I promise you every bullet has to go through me before it could reach you or Charles" he said "Stop it. Don't say such things. Nothing will happen to you. I will never let anything happen to you" she said almost in anger. "I want both of my brothers save and alive Ric" she said and Ric put his hand on head with a smile "and you will" he said with a smile. She smiled too and she hugged Enzo now that's a bit too much I thought to myself but let that go "Russo says you are Don's strength. He is right Enzo, you are but you are mine too. I never had friends Enzo and now that I have I don't want to loose them. Promise me you will not die." She said crying. "Hey Soph, love relax. Don't worry you are not getting rid of me anytime soon." He said with a wink making her chuckle a bit. "Go rest for a while, you have worn yourself out a lot. Don will come to you in a moment. Just remember you aren't alone. Ok?" He said and she smiled and nodded as she left the study.

"So its just us then?" Asked Enzo. "Yes in this interesting turn of events I can't trust anyone accept the three of us. "Ric you will get Charles with Roscoe. Once he is free and safe you will join us in taking Russo down.

"You got it brother." He said. "Enzo leave Antonio and Julio out of this" I told Enzo. "What! But are you sure?" He asked perplexed. Since both of them are our most efficient and closet men. "I am sure I am going to find one of them there already." I said with an unwanted belief.

"You think so? That anyone between these two is our rat?" Ric asked. "I hope they are not" I said not wanting my instincts to come true.