Chapter 6 - THE WOODS
The door swung inwards. Luca raised his weapon, his body shielding mine and Leo’s sleeping form.
It was Silvio.
The capo stood in the doorway, staring at the barrel of Luca’s gun. He didn't look surprised. He slowly raised his hands, keeping his palms open.
"Boss," Silvio said smoothly, his eyes darting to the yellowed paper in Luca's left hand. "I heard a noise. I came to check on the boy."
"You came with a master key, Silvio," Luca said, his voice deadly calm. "And you didn't announce yourself."
"Protocol, boss. Didn't want to alert an intruder."
"The only intruder here is you," Luca said. "Where is Vanessa?"
"She left the property, just as you ordered." Silvio’s gaze locked onto the silver watch on the nightstand. "But her father called. The Bellinis are demanding a sit-down. Tonight. At the docks."
Luca didn't lower the gun. "Tell them I'll be there."
"Boss, you shouldn't go alone—"
"I said, tell them."
Silvio nodded slowly, backing out of the room. He closed the door softly.
As soon as the latch clicked, Luca turned to me, his urgency palpable. "Silvio is compromised. That checkmark on Vanessa's list meant he belongs to her father now. They know we found the manifest."
He shoved the paper deep into his pocket and handed me the silver watch. "Keep this. It belongs to you."
"Luca, you can't go to the docks," I pleaded. "It's a trap."
"I know it is," he said, pulling on his suit jacket. "But if I don't go, they will attack this house. I have to draw them away."
He walked over to the bed and gently shook his son awake. Leo blinked, rubbing his eyes.
"Leo, buddy, listen to me," Luca said softly. "You and Nora are going to play a game of hide and seek. You're going to go with her, and you have to be very quiet. Understand?"
Leo looked at Luca, then at me, and nodded solemnly.
Luca turned to me. "There is a safehouse on the north edge of the property, past the tree line. It’s an old hunting cabin. No one uses it. The perimeter guards are loyal to me, not Silvio. Take the back stairs, get to the garage. Take the black SUV. Keys are in the ignition."
"What about you?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"I'm going to end the Bellini family," he said simply.
Ten minutes later, carrying a sleepy Leo, I slipped through the shadows of the kitchen and out into the cavernous garage. The estate was eerily quiet. I found the black SUV exactly where Luca said it would be.
I strapped Leo into the back seat, my hands shaking. I climbed into the driver's seat and hit the ignition. The engine roared to life.
I hit the garage door opener. As the heavy door lifted, revealing the dark driveway, I threw the car into drive.
Suddenly, the passenger side door jerked open.
A figure slid into the seat next to me, slamming the door shut. The locks clicked automatically.
I gasped and turned.
May you like
It was the young man from the dining room. The "new driver" with the silver Bellini lighter. He was holding a suppressed pistol, aimed directly at my ribs.
"Change of plans, Nora," he smiled, his teeth gleaming in the dashboard light. "You and the kid are coming with me."
