Chapter 7 - The Lake House
Alessandro stopped the car half a mile from the property.
“No sirens.”
Nathan nodded.
“Police are holding back.”
They approached through the woods.
The lake house appeared between the trees.
Old cedar siding.
Broken shutters.
One light burning downstairs.
Alessandro’s phone buzzed.
TEN MINUTES.
Nathan whispered, “We should wait for tactical.”
“No.”
“Alessandro.”
“She’s six.”
“You walk in there angry, you could get her killed.”
Alessandro hated that Nathan was right.
He forced himself to breathe.
“What’s the play?”
Nathan pointed toward the rear of the property.
“Generator shed. Security system is probably tied to it.”
“Cut the power?”
“They’ll know.”
“Can you loop the cameras?”
“Give me two minutes.”
Alessandro waited behind a tree.
Longest two minutes of his life.
Finally Nathan lifted his thumb.
“Go.”
Alessandro moved toward the house.
Inside, voices.
He looked through a side window.
Isabella stood beside the fireplace.
Enzo paced.
No Emma.
Alessandro entered through the back door.
Floorboards creaked.
Enzo spun around.
For one second, the two men simply stared at each other.
Enzo looked almost exactly as Alessandro remembered him from childhood.
Same dark eyes.
Same sharp jaw.
Except now Alessandro knew why.
They weren’t cousins.
They were brothers.
“Where’s Emma?”
Enzo smiled without warmth.
“Hello, brother.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Does the truth bother you?”
“The kidnapping bothers me.”
Isabella stepped forward.
“Did you sign the transfer?”
“I brought it.”
Alessandro held up an envelope.
“Emma first.”
Enzo nodded toward a hallway.
Isabella disappeared.
Seconds later, she returned with Emma.
The child’s wrists were tied.
Alessandro’s control almost broke.
Emma saw him.
“Mr. Alessandro!”
“I’m here.”
She tried to run toward him.
Isabella yanked her back.
“Easy.”
Alessandro’s voice became deadly.
“Take your hands off her.”
“Give us the papers.”
He tossed the envelope onto the table.
Enzo grabbed it.
Opened it.
Read.
His face darkened.
“This isn’t a transfer.”
“No.”
It was a letter.
One sentence.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME.
Enzo looked up.
“You think this is funny?”
“I think kidnapping a child because our father was a coward is pathetic.”
Enzo punched him.
Alessandro staggered backward.
Emma screamed.
Enzo swung again.
This time Alessandro blocked him.
They crashed into a table.
Isabella dragged Emma toward the hallway.
“Move!”
Emma bit Isabella’s hand.
Isabella screamed and released her.
Emma ran.
“ALessandro!”
He turned.
That second of distraction gave Enzo time to grab a fireplace poker.
Nathan burst through the rear door.
“Drop it!”
Enzo stopped.
Police flooded the house.
Isabella ran.
Two officers chased her.
Alessandro grabbed Emma and pulled her against his chest.
“You’re okay.”
She buried her face against him.
Then Nathan shouted.
“Everybody out!”
Alessandro looked toward the basement.
A loud hiss filled the room.
Propane.
The system was leaking.
“Move!”
They ran outside.
Seconds later, flames erupted from the rear windows.
The blast knocked Alessandro onto the grass.
He rolled over, still shielding Emma.
She cried against his chest.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He held her tighter.
“You saved me.”
Police dragged Enzo away.
But Isabella was nowhere in sight.
Nathan came running from the tree line.
“She got away.”
Alessandro looked at the burning house.
Then Emma tugged his sleeve.
“She has another bottle.”
He looked down.
“What?”
May you like
Emma’s voice shook.
“Miss Isabella said she still has to finish what she started.”
