Contents
Chapter 12
Overview
Ace and Romeo break into the bathroom and discover Mia gone. They race through the kitchens and learn a "caterer" loaded an unconscious Mia into a Decadent Delights van. Realizing they’ve failed, they decide to inform Lorenzo Moretti to mobilize a search. The stakes escalate as Mia’s abduction becomes public within the crew.
Summary
Ace grows alarmed when Mia and Keres fail to answer in the bathroom. He shoots the lock and finds the room empty, then checks the janitor’s closet, which is locked. A hotel manager confirms the closet leads to the kitchens, sending Ace and Romeo barreling through the back corridors with guns drawn.
They push into a side street and question a bald bystander, who reports two women left minutes ago in a Decadent Delights catering van, with the “caterer” loading an unconscious woman into the back while claiming she was drunk. Ace concludes Mia is alive because she’s more valuable that way.
After a futile chase down the street, Ace and Romeo confront their failure. Fear of Lorenzo Moretti’s reaction collides with urgency to recover Mia. They agree to contact Lorenzo immediately to get as many people searching as possible.
Who Appears
- AcePOV enforcer; forces the bathroom door, leads the pursuit, interrogates witnesses, and decides to call Lorenzo.
- RomeoAce’s partner; backs Ace with force, questions the bystander, panics, and agrees to inform Lorenzo.
- Mia MorettiKidnapping victim; last seen unconscious, loaded into a catering van by the abductor.
- KeresAbductor posing as a caterer; silently extracts Mia via kitchen route and escapes in a van.
- Lorenzo MorettiMia’s husband and boss; not present, but Ace prepares to call him to mobilize the search.
- Hotel managerIdentifies the janitor’s closet route leading to the kitchens, aiding Ace and Romeo’s chase.
- Bald bystanderWitness who saw the women depart in a Decadent Delights van and reports Mia was unconscious.