Chapter 6 - The Crystal Fall
The heavy brass lighter shattered the central bulb of the chandelier. A shower of sparks rained down, followed immediately by a terrifying groan of tearing metal.
Vincenzo looked up just as the two-hundred-pound crystal fixture ripped free from the ceiling.
"Move!" Gabriel roared.
He lunged forward, tackling Vincenzo’s lead gunman to the floor. The chandelier crashed down in the center of the doorway, exploding into a million razor-sharp shards of glass. Two of Vincenzo’s men were caught in the edges of the impact, screaming as they went down under the weight of the brass frame.
Vincenzo had stepped back just in time, but the fallen chandelier now created a massive, jagged barricade between him and the library.
"In the tunnels! Now!" Gabriel yelled, rising to his feet and firing two blind shots toward the hallway to keep Vincenzo pinned down.
Chloe grabbed Beatrice’s hand and plunged into the dark, damp stone staircase. Gabriel slid in behind them, pulling the bookshelf shut. The heavy mechanism clicked, plunging them into absolute, suffocating darkness.
For a moment, all Chloe could hear was her own ragged breathing and the faint, muffled shouts of Vincenzo’s men above them.
Gabriel flicked on a small tactical flashlight. The narrow beam illuminated ancient brick walls slick with moisture. "Keep moving. They’ll blow the bookshelf in less than three minutes."
They hurried down the tight corridor. The air smelled of old earth and copper. Chloe held Beatrice’s hand tightly, making sure the older woman didn't stumble on the uneven stones.
"Gabriel," Chloe whispered, her voice echoing slightly. "Where does this lead?"
"To the old carriage house at the edge of the property," Gabriel replied, keeping his gun raised as he checked the corners. "I have a secure vehicle there. Tony is supposed to meet us."
"Can you trust Tony?" Chloe asked. "Half your men just turned on you."
Gabriel paused, the flashlight beam catching the hard lines of his jaw. "Tony was a street kid I pulled out of a gutter ten years ago. Vincenzo wanted him dead for stealing a loaf of bread from a Costello bakery. I took him in. He’s loyal to me, not the blood."
They reached the end of the tunnel. A heavy iron door blocked their path. Gabriel grabbed the rusted wheel and threw his weight into it. With a deafening screech of metal, the door swung open, revealing the damp, freezing interior of the carriage house.
Rain pounded against the tin roof. In the center of the room sat a black SUV.
Tony was standing next to it, holding a rifle. When he saw them, he lowered the weapon and let out a breath. "Thank God, Boss. The main house is a war zone. Vincenzo is calling in favors from the old families. He’s telling everyone you tried to assassinate him to steal the inheritance early."
"He’s spinning the narrative," Gabriel said coldly. He opened the back door of the SUV. "Get in. Both of you."
Chloe helped Beatrice into the back seat. But as Gabriel moved to the driver's side, Beatrice violently grabbed his coat sleeve.
We can't just run! Beatrice signed rapidly in the glow of the overhead dome light. If Vincenzo controls the narrative, he controls the family. He will hunt us until we are dead. We have to prove he lied.
"Ma, we have the birth certificate, but that’s not enough to stop the commission from backing him," Gabriel said, frustration leaking into his voice.
I have more than the certificate, Beatrice signed, her eyes blazing with a fierce, maternal fury. Elena didn't just take Leo. She took Vincenzo’s ledger.
Chloe froze, her hand resting on the door frame. "Ledger? What ledger?"
Beatrice looked at Chloe. The night Elena ran away, she went into Vincenzo’s office to steal money for bus fare. But instead, she found his black book. The one detailing every bribe, every murder, every politician he owned. She took it to ensure Vincenzo would never stop looking for her, so he wouldn't realize the baby was missing too. She used herself as bait to save my son.
Tears pricked Chloe’s eyes. Her mother hadn't just been a maid. She had been a hero.
"Where is it?" Gabriel demanded. "Where did Elena hide it?"
Chloe’s mind raced. "She didn't leave anything behind. When she died, all I got was her wedding ring and this..."
Chloe looked down at her wrist. The tarnished silver bracelet. The jagged clasp.
She ripped the bracelet off her wrist and held it under the flashlight. "Gabriel... look at the clasp. It’s not broken."
Gabriel leaned in, his eyes narrowing. "It’s a key."
"A safe deposit box key," Chloe realized, her heart soaring. "She made me promise never to sell it. Because it was the only thing keeping us safe."
Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors of the carriage house blew open with a deafening explosion.
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Wood shrapnel rained down on the SUV. Tony raised his rifle, but a sniper's bullet immediately caught him in the shoulder, spinning him to the ground.
Through the smoke and pouring rain, Vincenzo Costello walked in, surrounded by a dozen heavily armed men.
