Chapter 7 - THE PRICE OF A DAUGHTER

“Let me hear her.”

Renato laughed softly.

“You always did skip the pleasantries.”

“Let me hear Ava.”

A pause.

Then Paolo heard his daughter crying.

“Daddy?”

His entire chest tightened.

“I’m here, baby.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m coming.”

Renato took the phone back.

“You’re not coming anywhere unless I tell you.”

Paolo’s voice dropped.

“If she has one scratch—”

“Spare me.”

“You know what I’ll do.”

“Yes.”

Renato sounded amused.

“That’s exactly why I took her.”

Paolo closed his eyes.

He forced himself to think.

Not react.

“What do you want?”

“The controlling shares.”

Paolo looked at Marco.

“Of what?”

“Everything.”

“You already stole forty million.”

“That was operating money.”

“You tried to murder me.”

“You survived.”

“You tried to kill Elise.”

“A strategic error.”

Paolo’s grip tightened around the phone.

“If you hurt my daughter, there will be nowhere on earth you can hide.”

Renato laughed.

“You sound exactly like your father.”

That stopped Paolo.

“My father hated you.”

“No.”

Renato’s voice changed.

“He feared me.”

Paolo heard movement.

A door.

Then Renato said, “Bring me your signed transfer documents by sunrise.”

“Where?”

“I’ll tell you when you have them.”

The call ended.

Marco stepped closer.

“We can track it.”

“Do it.”

Darius returned from the station corridor.

“Three attackers down. One alive.”

Paolo looked at him.

“Make him useful.”

Fifteen minutes later, they had a partial location.

Industrial district.

South side.

Paolo called Elise.

She answered immediately.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop.”

“I turned around for one second.”

“Stop blaming yourself.”

She sobbed.

“They came through the back stairwell. One of them had a police badge.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“The guard was hit.”

“Elise.”

“Yes?”

“I’m getting her back.”

A pause.

“Paolo, don’t say that because you think I need to hear it.”

“I’m saying it because I’m going to do it.”

Then another voice came over Elise’s line.

Carmela.

“Put me on.”

Paolo clenched his jaw.

Elise handed her the phone.

Carmela spoke quickly.

“I know where Renato takes people.”

Paolo said nothing.

“Paolo?”

“I’m listening.”

“There’s an old cannery outside the city.”

“Address.”

“I don’t remember.”

“You better remember.”

“Your father bought it in 1998. Renato used it for meetings nobody was supposed to know about.”

Marco started searching.

Carmela’s voice cracked.

“I should have told you.”

“Yes.”

“I thought I could control him.”

“You couldn’t control breakfast without ruining somebody’s life.”

“I know.”

For once, she didn’t fight him.

That frightened Paolo more than her arrogance.

“Mom.”

Silence.

“Did you know he would take Ava?”

“No.”

“If you’re lying—”

“I’m not.”

Then she said something that made him look up.

“Your father knew Renato would someday come after you.”

“What?”

“He left something for you.”

“Where?”

“In the old cannery.”

Paolo’s jaw tightened.

“What did he leave?”

Carmela whispered.

“A confession.”

Marco turned the laptop toward Paolo.

A property record had appeared.

Ventresca Foods Processing Facility.

Closed fourteen years ago.

Twenty-two miles outside the city.

Paolo ended the call.

“Found it.”

Marco grabbed his jacket.

“Then let’s go.”

Paolo shook his head.

“No.”

“What?”

“You take Elise somewhere secure.”

Marco stared at him.

“You are not going alone.”

“I’m not.”

He looked at Darius.

“I’m taking him.”

Marco stepped closer.

“Renato expects you angry.”

“He should.”

“He expects you reckless.”

Paolo looked at the screen showing the cannery address.

“Then tonight I disappoint him.”

He reached the door.

His phone buzzed.

A photograph appeared.

Ava tied to a chair.

Under it, one message.

ONE HOUR.

Then another photograph arrived.

This one was not of Ava.

It was of Elise.

Taken through the apartment window.

Paolo’s blood froze.

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