Chapter 5 - BLOOD IN THE GREENHOUSE
Glass exploded everywhere.
Aleandro threw himself over Sofia.
Elena hit the floor beside them.
Marco fired through the broken window.
“Back door!”
Aleandro grabbed Sofia.
Elena followed.
“You’re bleeding!”
A long cut ran across Aleandro’s cheek.
“Later.”
They rushed through the rear door.
A man appeared beside the garage.
Aleandro fired once.
The man dropped.
Elena stopped cold.
She had never seen someone killed.
“Don’t look,” Aleandro said.
“You just—”
“Move!”
Another shooter came around the fence.
Marco tackled him before he could fire.
They disappeared behind a hedge.
Two gunshots followed.
Only Marco came back.
“Car’s blocked.”
Aleandro looked toward the woods behind the property.
“Then we walk.”
Elena grabbed the blue box.
“No.”
“Leave it.”
“My mother died for this.”
“So will you if you carry it.”
She pulled the documents and cassette into her bag.
Then she threw the box aside.
They ran.
Branches tore at Elena’s coat.
Sofia clung to Aleandro’s neck.
“You okay, kid?”
“My shoe fell off.”
Aleandro actually stopped.
Elena grabbed him.
“Forget the shoe!”
Sofia’s lip trembled.
“My sparkly shoe.”
Bullets snapped against trees behind them.
Aleandro looked back.
Then at Sofia.
“You can have ten new shoes.”
“I want that one.”
“Kid, I can buy the company.”
“I want my shoe.”
Despite everything, Elena laughed.
One breathless, terrified laugh.
Aleandro stared at her.
For one strange second, the gunfire disappeared.
He saw Isabella again.
Same laugh.
Same stubborn eyes.
Then Marco shouted.
“Move!”
They reached a service road.
Another SUV waited there.
One of Aleandro’s men opened the doors.
They piled inside.
The vehicle sped away.
Ten minutes later, Sofia fell asleep against Elena.
Adrenaline drained from the car.
Aleandro looked at Elena.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good answer.”
“You killed someone.”
“He would have killed you.”
“That doesn’t make it normal.”
“No.”
“You say that a lot.”
“Because I’m not going to lie to you.”
Elena looked down at Sofia.
“You’re my father.”
Aleandro said nothing.
“Say something.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You’re Aleandro Moretti. You always know what to say.”
“Not about this.”
“Did you know?”
“No.”
“Do you believe it?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at her face.
“Because you have Isabella’s eyes.”
Elena turned away.
“That proves nothing.”
“No.”
“And the letter could be fake.”
“It could.”
“You’re agreeing with everything I say.”
“I’m trying very hard not to make this worse.”
“That may be the first smart thing you’ve done.”
Marco glanced into the mirror.
“Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
“What?”
“The men at the house.”
“What about them?”
“One had a Moretti security badge.”
Aleandro’s expression went cold.
“Current?”
Marco nodded.
“Current.”
Elena understood immediately.
“Someone inside your organization sent them.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Aleandro stared through the windshield.
“I have six people with access to those badges.”
“Then check six people.”
“I will.”
Marco’s phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
Then slowly looked at Aleandro in the mirror.
“What?”
Marco’s face was grim.
“The call came from the estate.”
Aleandro’s eyes narrowed.
“Whose line?”
May you like
Marco swallowed.
“Your sister’s.”
