Chapter 6 - FAMILY DOESN’T MEAN SAFE
Lucia Moretti was waiting when they returned.
Elegant.
Perfectly dressed.
Fifty years old and calm enough to make Elena immediately suspicious.
She looked at Aleandro’s bloody cheek.
“What happened?”
“You tell me.”
Lucia’s expression didn’t change.
Aleandro tossed a phone onto the table.
“Three vehicles left here this morning. One carried men who tried to kill my daughter.”
Lucia looked at Elena.
Then Sofia.
“Your daughter?”
Elena stepped forward.
“Don’t look at my child.”
Lucia’s eyes returned to Aleandro.
“This is absurd.”
“Is it?”
“I didn’t send anyone.”
“Your office did.”
“Then someone used my line.”
Aleandro watched her.
Lucia watched him back.
They looked less like siblings than rival generals.
Finally Lucia said, “You really think I would order a child killed?”
Aleandro’s voice was quiet.
“I think twenty years ago our family proved it was capable of worse.”
Lucia flinched.
There.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
Elena saw it.
“So you knew my mother,” Elena said.
Lucia looked at her.
“Briefly.”
Aleandro turned.
“Briefly?”
Lucia exhaled.
“Fine. Better than briefly.”
“How well?”
“She came to me the night she disappeared.”
Aleandro froze.
“You never told me that.”
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
“Father.”
His face darkened.
Lucia continued.
“Isabella had proof Vittorio was stealing from the other families. But that wasn’t what scared her.”
“What did?”
Lucia looked at Elena.
“She found a ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“A list of judges, cops, politicians, union officials. Everyone Vittorio owned.”
Aleandro shook his head.
“I searched every book he kept.”
“You didn’t find this one.”
“Why?”
“Because Isabella took it.”
Elena reached into her bag.
“The papers in the blue box…”
Lucia’s eyes widened.
“You found them?”
Aleandro stepped between them.
“Careful.”
Lucia raised both hands.
“I’m not your enemy.”
“Prove it.”
She looked furious.
Then hurt.
“You were my little brother before you became everybody’s king.”
“And you were my sister before you learned to lie this well.”
Silence.
Sofia appeared in the doorway carrying a stuffed rabbit someone had given her.
“Mommy?”
Elena turned.
“Yes?”
“I’m hungry.”
Lucia’s expression softened immediately.
“I can make you grilled cheese.”
Sofia studied her.
“Can you cook?”
Marco snorted.
Lucia gave him a deadly look.
“No,” Marco answered for her.
Sofia shook her head.
“Then Mommy should do it.”
For the first time, tension cracked.
Even Aleandro almost smiled.
Twenty minutes later, Elena stood in the kitchen making sandwiches while armed men searched the estate.
Aleandro entered quietly.
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’m holding a butter knife.”
“I feel safer already.”
She glanced at him.
“Was that a joke?”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
He leaned against the counter.
Elena lowered her voice.
“Do you trust Lucia?”
“With my life.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Aleandro looked toward the hall.
“No.”
“Do you trust Marco?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He took a bullet for me when he was nineteen.”
“People change.”
“Yes.”
She turned.
“Then who do you trust?”
Aleandro considered it.
Then looked at Sofia through the doorway.
“At the moment?”
His eyes came back to Elena.
“You two.”
Before Elena could respond, the lights went out.
May you like
The entire estate dropped into darkness.
A second later, Sofia screamed.
