Chapter 7 - THE RENDEZVOUS
"Leo!" I cried, clutching the phone with both hands. Tears streamed down my face. "Leo, baby, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm okay, Mommy," Leo said, his voice small and confused. "Mrs. Gable went to sleep, and the lady in the red dress said we were playing hide and seek. She brought me to a big metal house. It smells like fish."
My heart hammered. A big metal house that smells like fish. The old shipyard.
"Leo, listen to me very carefully," I said, trying to keep the terror out of my voice. "You're doing so good. Mommy is coming to find you, okay? I'm going to win the game."
"Okay, Mommy."
The phone crackled, and Leo's sweet voice was replaced by Sloane's cold, jagged tone.
"Touching," Sloane sneered. "I assume you survived Bradford's little raid, since you're answering the phone."
"I am going to tear you apart," I promised, my voice dropping to a low, feral whisper I didn't know I possessed.
"Bring the ledger to Pier 9," Sloane demanded. "You have thirty minutes. If you call the cops, or if you don't show up, I drop the boy in the water. Just you and Nicolo."
The line went dead.
I turned to Nicolo. He had heard everything. His eyes were dark, burning with a quiet, lethal resolve.
"Pier 9," Nicolo said. "My father's old shipping depot."
"We're giving her the ledger," I said firmly, clutching the black book to my chest. "I don't care about your father's legacy, Nicolo. I don't care about the blackmail. I just want my son."
"I know," Nicolo said gently. He reached out and touched my shoulder, his thumb brushing a tear from my cheek. "We trade the book for the boy. But Sloane won't leave loose ends. She plans to kill us all at the pier."
He walked over to a secret panel behind the pantry and entered a code. The wall slid open, revealing an armory. He grabbed two tactical vests, handing one to me.
"Put this on. Keep it under your coat," he ordered.
I slipped the heavy Kevlar over my shoulders. As I was buttoning my wool coat over it, the kitchen doors swung open. Dante walked in, soaking wet, holding his gun.
"Bradford's men retreated," Dante reported. "I secured the gates. I heard the call, boss. We're going to the shipyard."
Nicolo nodded. "Load the car, Dante. We leave in two minutes."
Dante turned to the door, but stopped. He slowly turned back around. His expression had changed. The loyal, stoic soldier looked suddenly deeply sad.
He raised his gun, but he didn't point it at the door. He pointed it directly at Nicolo's chest.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Dante said, his voice thick with regret.
Nicolo froze. "Dante. What are you doing?"
"Sloane doesn't just have your father," Dante said softly. "She has my daughter, too. She's had her for a month. I've been feeding Sloane information to keep my little girl alive. She told me if I bring you in alive, I get her back."
"Dante, listen to me," Nicolo pleaded, holding his hands up slowly. "Sloane is lying. She doesn't let assets go. If you give me to her, she will kill us all."
"I have to try!" Dante yelled, tears springing to his eyes. "Drop the gun, Nicolo. Kick the ledger over."
I stared at Dante in horror. He was the one who had taken Mrs. Gable away. He was the inside man who had kidnapped my son.
"Dante, please," I begged, stepping in front of Nicolo. "You're a father. You know what this feels like. Don't do this to my little boy."
Dante's hand shook. His eyes darted between me and Nicolo. He was breaking under the weight of his own betrayal.
"I'm sorry, Mara," Dante whispered, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Suddenly, a deafening gunshot rang out in the confined space of the kitchen.
Dante’s eyes went wide. He gasped, dropping his gun. He looked down at his chest, then collapsed backward, hitting the tile floor with a heavy thud.
May you like
I screamed, covering my ears.
Standing in the doorway, holding a smoking revolver with both hands, was Lucy. She was shaking violently, her eyes wide with shock at what she had just done.
