Chapter 6 - THE WRONG HOSTAGE
Naomi’s heart hammered.
But Isabella’s eyes were clear.
Sharp.
Watching everything.
Dominic pointed at the papers.
“Get your mother to sign.”
Luca didn’t move.
“Go to hell.”
The gun at Naomi’s head clicked.
Naomi shut her eyes.
“Wait,” she said.
Luca looked at her.
Naomi slowly lifted both hands.
“Dominic, right?”
He smiled.
“Smart girl.”
“You need Isabella’s fingerprint.”
“Yes.”
“And you need Luca alive long enough to make it legal.”
Dominic’s smile faded.
Naomi continued.
“So you can’t shoot everyone.”
Vivian scoffed.
“Stop talking.”
Naomi ignored her.
“You also can’t kill me.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow.
“Why not?”
“Because Isabella won’t cooperate if you do.”
She looked at Isabella.
“Will you?”
High note.
No.
Naomi almost smiled.
Dominic’s face hardened.
Vivian suddenly slapped Naomi.
Luca moved.
Fast.
He fired.
The bullet struck the hostage taker’s shoulder.
Naomi dropped.
Dante fired at a ceiling light.
Darkness swallowed the room again.
Marco tackled Dominic.
Someone screamed.
Naomi crawled toward Isabella.
“Mrs. Moretti!”
A hand found hers.
Isabella.
Then another hand grabbed Naomi’s waist.
She kicked.
“It’s me,” Luca growled.
He pulled both women behind the piano.
Gunfire erupted.
Wood splintered above them.
Naomi covered Isabella’s head.
Luca leaned out and fired twice.
A body hit the floor.
Then silence.
A long, ugly silence.
Emergency lights came back on.
Dominic was gone.
Vivian was gone.
Two of their men were down.
Marco was bleeding from the forehead.
Dante had a cut across his cheek.
Luca looked at Naomi.
“You hurt?”
“No.”
He touched her jaw where Vivian had slapped her.
His thumb rested there for one second too long.
Naomi pulled back.
“I’m fine.”
“You say that a lot.”
“Because people keep asking.”
His eyes dropped to her mouth.
Then Isabella played one low note.
Naomi looked down.
The old woman was smiling.
Naomi stared.
“Don’t start.”
Isabella played another low note.
Luca looked between them.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“What did she say?”
“She said you’re annoying.”
Isabella hit a high note.
No.
Dante burst out laughing.
Even Marco smiled.
Luca looked offended.
Then the smile disappeared from Isabella’s face.
She reached for Naomi’s hand.
Her fingers trembled.
She tapped Naomi’s palm three times.
The signal she used when she wanted to write.
Naomi brought paper.
Isabella struggled with the pen.
Slowly, she wrote one word.
BASEMENT.
Luca stared.
“What’s in the basement?”
Isabella’s hand shook harder.
She wrote again.
SAFE.
Luca’s face changed.
“There is no safe in the basement.”
Isabella looked directly at him.
Then wrote a second word.
FATHER.
Dante went pale.
“Our father had a hidden safe?”
Isabella nodded.
Luca asked, “What’s inside?”
Isabella tried to write.
Her pen slipped.
Naomi picked it up.
“Take your time.”
Isabella wrote six letters.
Naomi read them aloud.
May you like
“Proof.”
Then came a distant explosion from beneath the house.
