Chapter 7 - THE SAFE HOUSE WAS NEVER SAFE
I stopped breathing.
Lily’s eyes were wide.
Her mouth was taped.
Karen was bleeding from the forehead.
Victor leaned toward the camera.
“Tell Grace I said hello.”
The feed ended.
I called the safe house.
No answer.
I called again.
Nothing.
My security chief looked sick.
“That location was known by four people.”
“Name them.”
“You.”
“Me.”
“Raymond.”
“And Daniel.”
Daniel Cross.
My father’s former driver.
My head of personal security for twelve years.
A man who had carried Lily asleep from cars more times than I could count.
I looked across the warehouse.
Daniel was gone.
One betrayal had just become two.
Emma grabbed my sleeve.
“Where’s Lily?”
I crouched.
“She’s okay.”
“You’re lying.”
I stared at her.
She had known me less than twelve hours.
And already she could read me.
“They took her.”
Emma’s face crumpled.
“Because of me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
I gripped her shoulders gently.
“This happened because adults made choices they had no right to make.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
She looked at me with Grace’s eyes.
“Are you really my dad?”
The question cut through everything.
“I believe I am.”
“Do you want me?”
I almost couldn’t answer.
Seven years of hunger.
Fear.
Being hidden.
Being told her father didn’t know.
All of it lived inside that one question.
I pulled her against me.
“Yes.”
She stiffened.
Then slowly hugged me back.
“I want you too.”
My phone buzzed.
Grace.
A location pin.
Then a message.
ANNA ESCAPED.
SHE KNOWS WHERE VICTOR WILL TAKE LILY.
Twenty minutes later, we met Anna Callahan in the basement of an abandoned church.
She looked older than the woman at Grace’s funeral.
Thinner.
A scar ran along her jaw.
But Emma recognized her instantly.
“Aunt Anna!”
She ran.
Anna dropped to her knees and held her.
“Oh, baby.”
Emma sobbed into her shoulder.
“You died.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
I watched them.
Then looked at Anna.
“You have a lot to explain.”
She nodded.
“So do you.”
“Not tonight.”
“No.”
She stood.
“Tonight we get Lily.”
Anna spread a map across an old table.
Victor owned three properties outside Chicago.
One was a farmhouse.
One was a storage yard.
The third was an abandoned Catholic boarding school near Rockford.
Anna pointed at it.
“He used it years ago.”
“For what?”
“People he needed hidden.”
I looked at her.
“You were one of them?”
“Yes.”
Victor had raised Anna inside the Vescari family until she escaped at eighteen.
Years later, she found Grace.
Grace’s mother had died by then.
Anna became the only relative Grace trusted.
Then the twins were born.
Anna took Emma.
And spent seven years moving from city to city.
“Why pretend to die?”
“Because Victor found me.”
Emma squeezed her hand.
Anna continued.
“I staged my death and gave Emma to Karen.”
“I thought Karen would take her to Grace.”
“She didn’t.”
Karen had panicked.
Then accepted Victor’s money.
Not because she wanted Emma dead.
Because she believed she could sell information, take the cash, and run.
A stupid plan.
A dangerous plan.
But Victor had never intended to pay.
Anna pointed at the school.
“He’ll take Lily here.”
“How do you know?”
“Because it has something he needs.”
“What?”
“A courtroom.”
I frowned.
Anna looked at me.
“It used to be a boarding school and juvenile court facility.”
“He has a judge.”
“A lawyer.”
“Documents.”
“He’s going to force you to sign temporary guardianship.”
I laughed once.
“No.”
Anna looked serious.
“He doesn’t need you willing.”
“He needs you recorded agreeing.”
“He’ll threaten Lily until you do.”
I looked at Emma.
“No.”
“What?”
“She isn’t coming.”
Emma immediately protested.
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“She’s my sister.”
“And you’re seven.”
“So is she.”
I turned to my men.
“Take Emma somewhere secure.”
Anna shook her head.
“There is nowhere secure.”
She looked straight at me.
“Victor has people inside your organization, your police contacts, and possibly your legal team.”
“If Emma disappears again, you may never find her.”
I hated that she was right.
Then the church door opened.
Everyone drew weapons.
A woman stepped inside.
Dark coat.
Long hair.
Green eyes.
Grace.
Alive.
Emma stared at her.
Then whispered.
“Mom?”
Grace froze.
May you like
And Anna’s face changed.
Because Emma had never called Grace that before.
