Chapter 13 - THE FIRE AT AURELIA
Flames were already pouring from the second-floor windows when they arrived.
Emma jumped out before the SUV stopped.
“EMMA!”
Dante chased her.
Firefighters were still minutes away.
Employees stood outside coughing.
Emma scanned faces.
“Mr. Carlisle!”
The manager stumbled toward her.
“You’re alive!”
“Who’s missing?”
He coughed.
“Tony. Maybe Luis.”
Emma looked at the burning building.
“No.”
Dante grabbed her arm.
“You’re not going in.”
“Tony has asthma.”
“Emma.”
“He’ll die.”
Dante looked at the flames.
Then cursed.
“Sal!”
Sal ran over.
“Boss?”
“Side entrance.”
Emma stared.
“You’re coming?”
Dante gave her a hard look.
“You were going whether I said yes or no.”
“That sounded almost self-aware.”
“Move.”
They entered through the kitchen.
Smoke swallowed everything.
Emma covered her mouth.
“Tony!”
No answer.
Dante kicked open the pantry.
Empty.
Sal checked the walk-in.
“Here!”
Tony lay near the freezer door.
Dante lifted him.
Emma spotted another figure.
“Luis!”
She dragged him toward the exit.
A beam crashed behind them.
Heat punched through the hallway.
“MOVE!”
They escaped seconds before part of the ceiling collapsed.
Outside, Emma dropped beside Luis.
He coughed.
Alive.
Tony started breathing after Sal cleared his airway.
Emma nearly cried.
Then she remembered.
“The envelope.”
Dante looked at the building.
“No.”
“It’s in the service cabinet.”
“The room is burning.”
“If Matteo gets there after the fire—”
“He probably started the fire to destroy it.”
Emma stared at the flames.
Then Mr. Carlisle said, “Private room didn’t catch.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What?”
“Fire started upstairs.”
Emma and Dante exchanged a look.
The private room was on the ground floor.
Dante said, “Stay.”
Emma ignored him and ran.
He cursed and followed.
They re-entered through the broken side door.
Smoke filled the dining room.
The private room door was damaged but intact.
Emma dropped to her knees beside the cabinet.
“Where?”
“Underneath.”
Dante ripped the wooden base loose.
Nothing.
Emma’s heart sank.
“Gone.”
Then she saw scratches.
Fresh.
“Someone got here first.”
Dante examined them.
“Yes.”
Footsteps behind them.
They turned.
Frankie DeLuca stood in the doorway.
Gun pointed at Emma.
“Don’t move.”
Dante froze.
Frankie smiled.
“Boss.”
Dante’s expression became stone.
“Frankie.”
“You always were too sentimental.”
“Funny coming from a man who kidnaps deaf women.”
Frankie shrugged.
“Orders.”
“Matteo’s?”
“No.”
Dante frowned.
Then Frankie smiled wider.
“Your mother’s.”
Emma stared.
“What?”
Frankie laughed.
“Not the kidnapping. The envelope.”
Dante looked confused.
“What are you saying?”
“I picked it up this morning.”
“Why?”
Frankie reached into his coat.
Then threw a sealed envelope across the room.
It slid to Dante’s feet.
“Because your mother told me to.”
Dante didn’t move.
“Why would she trust you?”
Frankie’s smile disappeared.
“Because I’m Rosa’s son.”
Emma blinked.
The housekeeper.
Frankie continued.
“Matteo forced me to work for him. Your mother knew.”
Dante looked at the gun.
“Then why point that at us?”
Frankie glanced behind them.
“Because Matteo’s men are watching.”
Emma understood.
“He needs to make it look like he’s stopping us.”
Frankie nodded.
Then whispered, “You have thirty seconds.”
Dante picked up the envelope.
“What’s inside?”
“Proof.”
“Of what?”
Frankie’s face went grim.
“That Matteo didn’t kill your father.”
Dante froze.
“What?”
Frankie looked toward the hallway.
“You need to leave.”
Dante stepped closer.
“Who killed Carlo?”
Frankie swallowed.
Then looked straight at him.
“Carlo killed himself.”
Silence.
Emma stared.
Dante’s face emptied.
“No.”
Frankie continued quickly.
“He knew he’d been poisoned slowly for months. Liver damage. Organ failure. He chose the night.”
Dante shook his head.
“You’re lying.”
“The envelope has his medical records.”
“Why fake my signature?”
“Matteo did that. He wanted everyone to think you ordered it.”
“So Dad was already dying.”
“Yes.”
Dante looked sick.
“He knew?”
“He knew.”
A gunshot cracked.
Frankie jerked backward.
Blood hit the wall.
Emma screamed.
Frankie collapsed.
Dante fired toward the hallway.
“GO!”
They ran through smoke.
Outside, Dante opened the envelope.
Inside were medical records.
Letters.
And one handwritten note.
Dante read it.
His hands started shaking.
Emma touched his arm.
“What does it say?”
He looked at her.
His eyes were wet.
“My father knew he had weeks.”
Emma went silent.
Dante continued.
“He wrote…”
His voice broke.
“He wrote, ‘Do not let my death make monsters of my sons.’”
Dante laughed bitterly.
Then looked toward the flames.
“Too late.”
Behind them, Mrs. Moretti’s phone began vibrating.
Emma checked it.
A live video call.
Matteo.
She answered.
May you like
His face appeared.
And behind him, tied to a chair, was Gabriel.
