Chapter 11 - FIRE

Evelyn confessed.

Not immediately.

Not willingly.

But she confessed.

She had ordered men to frighten Elena.

The fire was supposed to begin in an empty apartment.

It spread.

Elena had escaped through a bathroom window carrying six-month-old Maya against her chest.

Luca listened without moving.

When Evelyn finished, he walked toward her.

Walked.

No cane.

Three steps.

His mother stared at him.

"You took my legs."

Another step.

"You took twelve years."

Another.

"You nearly killed my daughter."

Evelyn cried.

"I loved you."

Luca stopped.

"No."

His voice was quiet.

"You loved owning me."

Police arrived minutes later.

Evelyn survived the gunshot.

Adrian was arrested.

Dominic was dead.

Vale was dead.

It should have been over.

It wasn't.

Because Adrian made one final statement before entering the police car.

"Evelyn didn't order the bunker attack."

Luca stared at him.

"Who did?"

Adrian smiled.

"Ask Victor."

Luca's eyes moved toward his oldest friend.

Victor stood twenty feet away.

Expressionless.

Luca remembered the access logs.

Victor's card.

The security failure.

The gas.

The attackers knowing the bunker layout.

Victor had been beside him for fifteen years.

He had saved Luca's life twice.

He had protected Maya.

He had killed the shooter.

Or perhaps he had killed the only man who could identify him.

Luca walked toward Victor.

"Give me your gun."

Victor stared.

"Boss."

"Your gun."

Victor slowly removed it.

Then gave it to Luca.

Luca took it.

"Did you betray me?"

Victor looked into his eyes.

"No."

"Adrian says you did."

"Adrian lies."

"So does my mother."

"Yes."

"So did Dominic."

"Yes."

"So did Vale."

"Yes."

Luca's jaw tightened.

"Everybody lies."

Victor nodded.

"Everybody except children."

Luca stared.

Victor continued.

"Ask Tommy what he saw."

Luca turned.

Tommy was standing near the doorway.

The boy looked terrified.

Luca crouched painfully.

"What did you see?"

Tommy swallowed.

"The night they tried to take Maya..."

"Yes?"

"The man who grabbed me."

Tommy looked toward Victor.

"It wasn't him."

Luca waited.

Tommy whispered.

"But I saw his face."

"Whose?"

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Tommy looked toward the police car carrying Adrian.

"Adrian's lawyer."