Kissing a Mafia king

STOLEN IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 5 — STOLEN IN THE DARK

The moment Leo said the words, Serena felt the air change.

Not in the room.

In him.

It was like watching a storm take human form—silent first, then building, then ready to kill anything in its path. Leo didn’t shout. He didn’t cry out. He simply stood there, jaw clenched, eyes burning with the type of fury only a man like him could carry.

Mia was taken.

And Leo Moretti did not lose what was his.

Even if that “belonged” meant something different for each person in his life.

“Get in the car,” Leo ordered.

Serena didn’t move. “Leo—”

“Serena.”

His voice dropped lower.

“Not now.”

It wasn’t anger.

It was desperation disguised as control.

That was worse.

Serena slid into the passenger seat without another word. Leo slid behind the wheel, started the engine, and peeled out of the docks so fast the tires screamed.

It was the first time Serena saw fear in him.

Not for himself.

For someone he once cared for.

The Command Center

They reached the Moretti tower within minutes. But Leo didn’t go to his office or the penthouse. He went straight to the underground war room—hidden between levels, accessible only by retinal scan and code.

The door clicked open.

Inside, screens glowed with satellite feeds, CCTV loops, and encrypted messages. Men stood at attention the moment Leo entered, fear stiffening their spines.

“Report,” Leo snapped.

Vito stepped forward. “We lost her signal at 11:42 PM. A van with fake plates intercepted her route home. No bodies found. No ransom call yet.”

Leo cracked his knuckles—a small gesture, but one every man in the room recognized as a warning.

“Whoever took her did it clean,” Vito continued. “Too clean.”

Serena tensed.

“Damian,” she whispered.

Everyone turned to her.

Leo slowly lifted his gaze. “Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s personal,” Serena replied softly. “He wouldn’t hurt you by attacking your men or your money. He wants to hit your heart.”

Leo stared at her for a long second—long enough for everyone to feel the weight of it.

Vito cleared his throat. “There’s a message. Delivered five minutes ago.”

“A message?” Leo repeated.

“It’s not a negotiation.”

Vito handed him a phone.

A burner. Cheap. Disposable.

Leo turned it on.

A video opened instantly.

The Footage

The screen flickered.

A dim warehouse.

A chair.

Ropes.

A woman tied, blindfolded, trembling faintly.

Mia.

Her breathing was shallow, shaken—but alive.

A man stepped in front of the camera, wearing a wolf mask. But his voice?

Undeniable.

“Miss me, Leo?”

Damian Cruz.

Serena felt Leo’s entire body go rigid beside her. His jaw flexed once. Twice.

Damian stood behind Mia, trailing a gloved finger along her cheek.

“You took something from me,” Damian said softly. “Now I take something from you.”

Leo’s knuckles turned white around the phone.

“You’re predictable,” Damian taunted. “I show up at the docks, you rush to protect the girl. I kidnap your precious secretary, and you panic. What’s next, Leo? Who else will scream your name while I rip your empire apart?”

Serena’s breath hitched.

Damian leaned down, whispering against Mia’s ear. “You’re lucky, sweetheart. He used you. But I’ll make you useful.”

Leo’s men shifted uneasily.

Then Damian looked directly into the camera.

“You want her back?

Come get her.”

The screen cut to black.

The phone slipped from Leo’s fingers and cracked against the floor.

Silence hit the room like a slap.

Serena whispered, “Leo—”

But he didn’t hear her.

He was already somewhere else in his mind. Somewhere violent.

The Snap

Leo slammed his fist down on the table.

The metal dented.

“Find him,” he growled. “Find the warehouse, the van, the plates—find every damn shadow he stepped on.”

Men scattered instantly.

The only ones left were Leo, Serena, and Vito.

“Vito,” Leo said without turning. “Call my father. Tell him Damian just declared war.”

Vito hesitated. “Your father won’t be pleased—”

“Do it.”

Vito disappeared.

Serena approached him slowly, aware he was two breaths from breaking apart.

“Leo,” she said softly, “sit down. Please.”

He didn’t sit.

But he didn’t walk away either.

“You don’t understand,” he muttered. “I should’ve kept her in the tower. I shouldn’t have let her go home alone. I knew Damian was moving. I knew he was watching.”

Serena stepped closer. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it is.”

He looked at her then—truly looked.

“Mia was loyal to me. She trusted me. And now she’s—”

His voice cracked.

Leo Moretti didn’t show weakness. Not even in private.

But seeing Mia tied up…

Seeing Damian touch her…

It broke something raw inside him.

Serena reached for his hand. “We’ll get her back.”

Leo stared at their joined hands—hers soft and warm, his cold and shaking.

“You’re not scared?” he asked.

“Terrified,” she admitted. “But I trust you.”

Something shifted in him.

The storm calmed—not gone, but controlled.

Leo squeezed her hand once, firmly.

“You stay with me,” he said quietly. “Tonight, tomorrow—until Damian is dead.”

Serena nodded.

“Good,” Leo whispered. “Because I won’t let him near you. I refuse to let you disappear too.”

The Trap

Santo ran back into the room. “Boss! We found something.”

Leo’s eyes snapped up. “Where?”

“Warehouse district, Zone 3. But…” Santo hesitated.

“It looks abandoned. Too quiet.”

“A trap,” Leo said.

“Obviously,” Santo replied nervously.

Serena stepped forward. “So what’s the plan?”

Leo finally straightened.

The fire was back.

The control.

The commander.

“We walk into the trap,” he said.

“What?” Serena’s eyes widened.

“We don’t have a choice. Mia’s inside. Damian wants me there. If I send men, he’ll kill her.”

“Then let me go with you,” Serena said.

Leo’s jaw tightened. “No. I’m not risking you.”

“You said to stay with you.”

“I meant this building.”

Serena stepped closer.

“I’m not sitting in a tower while he hurts people I work with… people you care about.”

Leo looked at her—really looked—long enough to see she wasn’t bluffing.

He exhaled through his teeth.

“You stay behind me. You don’t argue. And if I say run?”

Serena met his stare, unflinching.

“I run.”

Leo murmured something in Italian—something that sounded both like a curse and a prayer.

Then he touched her cheek gently, fingers trembling with the warning he couldn’t say aloud.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he whispered.

Serena replied softly, “Then don’t let me die first.”

The War Begins

Leo’s convoy roared out of the Moretti tower—five black SUVs, bulletproof, armed to the teeth. Serena sat beside him in the lead vehicle, heart pounding but mind clear.

Leo loaded his weapon, checked the magazine, then looked at her.

“You ready?”

“No,” she admitted.

“But Mia needs us.”

He almost smiled.

Almost.

The convoy turned onto the long industrial road leading to Warehouse Zone 3.

Lights off.

Guns ready.

No turning back.

Serena held her breath as Leo whispered:

“This is where the real war starts.”

The city blurred past them—dark roads, empty alleys, abandoned factories swallowed by shadows. Everything outside the SUV looked dead, but Serena’s pulse felt too alive, too loud. She kept glancing at Leo, memorizing the sharp line of his jaw, the way his fingers tightened on the wheel each time he thought of Mia.

Even silent, he radiated danger.

And something else.

Guilt.

“Leo,” she said quietly, “Mia is strong. She’ll last.”

“She shouldn’t have to.”

His voice was gravel.

“If Damian wanted to send a message, he already did. Everything after this… everything he does to her… that’s punishment meant for me.”

“You can’t think like that.”

His eyes stayed on the road, but the muscle in his jaw twitched.

“I am a man who calculates risk for a living. I should’ve known he’d target her. I should’ve known he’d target you.”

Her breath caught. “Me?”

Leo finally turned, eyes locking with hers—dark, burning, and painfully honest.

“Serena… he took Mia to get to me. But don’t underestimate him. You think Damian Cruz doesn’t notice how I look at you?”

Her heart pounded.

“He took Mia because she was vulnerable.”

“He took her because she’s mine,” Leo replied quietly.

“Because he wondered what I would do if someone touched what belonged to me.”

Belonged.

The word wrapped around her like smoke—hot, suffocating, forbidden.

Serena looked away, trying to steady herself.

“You said Mia is important to you.”

“She is,” he answered without hesitation. “But you…”

His voice dropped lower.

“Damian sees you as the threat you are.”

A shiver ran through her.

Before she could reply, Santo’s voice came through the radio:

“Boss, we’re approaching.”

Leo nodded once and the convoy slowed, engines humming like predators stalking prey.

The Warehouse

The building loomed ahead—massive, rusted, windows broken like jagged teeth. A single light flickered above the entrance. No guards. No movement. No sound.

A trap.

Leo stepped out of the SUV first. His posture changed—no longer the man wrestling guilt or emotion. Now he was the King. Cold. Calculating. Ready to kill.

Serena followed, heart steadying to match his rhythm.

“Santo, Vito,” Leo commanded, “take the west and east sides. Clear quietly.”

His men spread out.

Leo looked at Serena with one last warning. “Stay behind me.”

“I will.”

They approached the entrance. The door was slightly open, like someone had left it that way on purpose.

Leo pushed it gently.

It creaked.

Slow.

Echoing.

Mocking.

Inside, darkness swallowed everything. Leo raised his gun. Serena did the same.

Then—

A soft whimper.

Serena froze.

“Leo.”

He heard it too.

They moved deeper, passing crates, shadows, old machinery. The whimper came again—closer.

And then they saw her.

Mia

Mia was tied to a metal chair, ropes digging into her wrists, blindfold still covering her eyes. A bruise bloomed across her cheek, her lip split, breathing uneven.

But she was alive.

“Mia,” Serena whispered.

Leo moved first—fast but controlled. He checked her pulse, then removed the blindfold.

Mia blinked rapidly, vision adjusting. When she realized who was in front of her, tears filled her eyes.

“Leo…” Her voice was weak, breaking. “He said you wouldn’t come…”

“Don’t ever doubt that,” Leo murmured.

Serena had never heard him speak that softly.

Mia trembled. “He’s here. It’s not safe—”

A slow clap echoed in the darkness.

Serena jerked toward the sound.

Leo pulled Mia behind him.

From the shadows, a figure emerged.

Damian Cruz Steps Out

He walked casually, like this was a social visit, not a kidnapping. Dressed in black, gloves still on, expression smooth and amused.

“Bravo, Leo,” Damian drawled. “You came faster than I expected. That secretary must mean something to you.”

Leo raised his gun.

“Let her go.”

Damian smirked. “I already did. You’re welcome.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Leo said coldly. “You want something. Say it.”

“Oh, Leo.” Damian sighed dramatically. “You always rush business. I prefer… foreplay.”

Serena stiffened.

Damian looked at her—slowly, deliberately—eyes sliding over her like he was sampling a weapon he wanted to steal.

“And you brought her,” he murmured. “How thoughtful.”

Leo stepped in front of Serena instantly. “Don’t.”

Damian tilted his head. “Protective already? My, my. She must be special.”

Serena spoke up before Leo could explode.

“What do you want, Damian?”

He smiled.

“Direct. I remember that about you.”

Leo froze.

Serena’s breath stopped.

Damian walked in a slow circle, hands behind his back.

“People say the past stays buried,” he said casually. “But that’s a lie. Isn’t it… Serena?”

Leo turned sharply.

“Serena?”

She didn’t answer.

Couldn’t.

Damian’s smile widened.

“Don’t look so shocked, Leo. You think a woman like her walks into your empire by accident?”

Serena’s heart pounded painfully. She kept her hands steady, gun raised, voice controlled.

“Damian, stop it.”

“Oh no,” Damian said softly. “I think he deserves to hear the truth.”

Leo’s voice dropped low. “Damian… you’re already dead. Choose your last words carefully.”

But Damian wasn’t afraid.

He leaned forward, looking at Serena like she was a possession he wasn’t finished with.

“Tell him,” Damian whispered.

“Tell Leo Moretti how you and I met.”

The room went silent.

Serena felt Leo’s eyes burning into her.

Mia held her breath, trembling behind him.

Damian’s smile sharpened.

“Or should I?”

The Shot

Leo fired.

Not at Damian.

At the light switch above him.

Darkness crashed down.

“MOVE!” Leo shouted.

Gunfire erupted instantly. Sparks. Echoes. Shouts. Serena ducked, rolled behind a crate, firing toward the muzzle flashes.

“Serena, left!” Leo shouted.

She fired twice. A man screamed.

More shadows rushed in—Damian’s men, hidden in the rafters, behind crates, everywhere.

Mia was dragged by Vito into cover.

Leo shot another attacker.

Serena covered him without hesitation.

Their movements synced—fast, sharp, deadly. Like they had fought together a hundred times.

“Leo!” Serena yelled, pointing.

Damian’s silhouette moved toward a side exit.

But Leo couldn’t follow—three gunmen blocked his path, forcing him into cover.

Serena didn’t think.

She ran.

“SERENA!” Leo roared.

She ignored him.

She chased Damian.

The Escape

Serena sprinted through a narrow corridor, boots pounding the concrete floor. Damian’s footsteps echoed ahead of her.

He reached a metal door.

Serena fired.

The bullet missed his shoulder by inches.

Damian glanced back, smirking.

“You always were bold.”

“Stop!” Serena yelled.

“Make me.”

He slipped through the door.

Serena followed—

Straight into the night air.

Behind her, the warehouse burned with screams and gunfire. Ahead of her, Damian stood at the edge of a loading dock, moonlight carving sharp angles across his face.

He waited for her.

Like he knew she’d come.

“You shouldn’t have involved Mia,” Serena said, breath uneven.

“You left me no choice,” Damian replied. “You walked into Leo’s world. I had to pull you back.”

Serena raised her gun. “You don’t own me.”

Damian stepped closer. “Don’t I? Who trained you? Who saved you? Who made you what you are?”

Serena’s hands trembled.

Damian smiled softly—dangerously.

“You think Leo will trust you when he learns the truth? You think he won’t put a bullet in your head when he discovers who you used to work for?”

She swallowed hard.

“Stay away from him.”

“From Leo?” Damian chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart. Leo Moretti is only the beginning.”

Then he leaned close, whispered:

“This city won’t survive the war coming.”

Footsteps thundered behind them—Leo.

“SERENA!” he shouted.

She turned.

Damian was gone.

Vanished into the shadows.

Aftermath

Leo grabbed Serena’s shoulders, breath sharp with panic and anger.

“Are you insane?! You could’ve died!”

Serena pushed him away—not hard, but enough that he felt it.

“I had to go after him. He was escaping.”

“You don’t chase a wolf alone!” Leo snapped.

“I didn’t have a choice—”

“Yes, you did!” His voice cracked. “You choose me. You always choose me.”

Serena froze.

Leo realized what he said.

He stepped back, breath uneven.

Hands shaking.

Mia limped out of the warehouse with Vito’s support. When she saw Serena and Leo arguing, she frowned—but said nothing.

Leo looked between his two women—one wounded, one trembling from adrenaline—and something inside him snapped again.

Not in rage.

In realization.

“I’m ending this,” he said.

“No more warnings. No more messages. No more mercy.”

He cupped Serena’s face, thumb brushing her cheek.

“I’m coming for Damian Cruz.”

Serena swallowed. “Leo—”

“And when I’m done…”

He leaned closer, voice deep, raw, honest.

“You and I are finishing what we started.”

Her breath hitched.

Leo turned to his men.

“Get Mia to the tower. Double security. No one sleeps tonight.”

Then he looked back at Serena.

“Stay with me.”

She nodded.

And as they walked back to the convoy, Serena felt it—

The war had officially begun.

And she was standing between two kings determined to win her.