Chapter 7 - “OPEN YOUR MOUTH”
Elena did not scream.
That frightened Adrian more.
She simply stood in the study with one hand pressed against her chest.
Then whispered, “Find her.”
Adrian moved.
Phones.
Vehicles.
Roadblocks.
Every Moretti contact in Chicago activated within minutes.
But Sam had spent twenty-seven years learning how Adrian’s security worked.
He knew routes.
Cameras.
Weak points.
And Marcus’s sister’s house had been attacked with precision.
No one killed.
One guard sedated.
Window forced.
Mia taken.
A pink sock remained beneath the window.
Elena held it.
Adrian could not look at her.
At 11:14 p.m., Sam called.
Video.
Adrian answered.
Mia appeared on screen.
She sat in a chair inside what looked like an industrial kitchen.
Not tied.
Stuffed rabbit in her arms.
Her cheeks were wet.
But she was alive.
“Mommy?”
Elena moved toward the phone.
“Mia!”
“Mommy!”
Sam entered frame.
Adrian’s voice turned deadly.
“If you touch her—”
“Oh, spare me.”
Sam sounded tired.
“You’re not your father, Adrian. Threats don’t impress me anymore.”
“Where are you?”
“You know what I want.”
“The drive.”
“And Nicolas.”
Adrian looked at his brother.
Nick went pale.
Sam continued.
“Your little brother has been considering cooperation. That disappoints me.”
Nicolas whispered, “Sam…”
“Hello, Nick.”
“What do you want with him?”
“To eliminate complications.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
Sam smiled.
“Then perhaps I keep Mia.”
Elena grabbed the phone.
“You listen to me.”
Sam looked surprised.
“You took the wrong child.”
“Elena—” Adrian warned.
“No.”
She stared directly into the screen.
“Mia talks to everyone. She remembers everything. She notices everything.”
Sam laughed.
“She’s three.”
“And smarter than you.”
Mia’s face changed.
A tiny smile.
Elena continued.
“She will make you miserable.”
Sam looked at the toddler.
As if on cue, Mia lifted her spoon from a bowl sitting beside her.
“You didn’t eat.”
Sam stared.
Adrian almost could not believe it.
Mia held up the spoon.
“Open your mouth.”
Even Elena froze.
Sam looked genuinely offended.
“No.”
“You’re grumpy.”
Adrian covered his mouth.
Nicolas made a sound dangerously close to laughter.
Sam’s expression darkened.
“Enough.”
Mia frowned.
“Mommy says angry people need food.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
Adrian suddenly understood something.
Mia was not only being herself.
She was showing them the room.
Metal bowl.
Industrial kitchen.
A green-and-white tile wall.
A logo printed on a napkin beside her.
Adrian leaned closer.
He recognized it.
Carbone Catering Services.
Victor Carbone owned only one industrial catering facility.
South Chicago.
Adrian looked at Marcus.
Marcus saw it too.
Sam was still talking.
“One hour. Drive and Nicolas. No police.”
Adrian answered calmly.
“Agreed.”
Elena looked at him.
He ended the call.
“You are not giving him your brother.”
“I know.”
“Then?”
“We know where she is.”
Nicolas blinked.
“How?”
“The napkin.”
Marcus was already moving.
“Carbone Catering. South Deering.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“My smart girl.”
Adrian took her hands.
“You stay here.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“No.”
“You cannot come into a possible shooting.”
“And you cannot tell Mia I stayed behind.”
Adrian stared.
She was right.
He hated that.
The rescue plan took twenty-three minutes.
No full assault.
No gunfire unless absolutely necessary.
Carbone’s facility sat beside an old distribution yard with three entrances.
Marcus cut external power.
Nicolas called Sam, pretending to comply.
Adrian entered through a loading bay with two men.
Elena stayed with Marcus outside.
That was the compromise.
Inside, emergency lights glowed red.
Adrian heard voices.
Then Mia.
“I want Mommy.”
Sam answered, “Soon.”
“You said that before.”
“Mia—”
“Mr. Grumpy eats better than you.”
Adrian nearly smiled in darkness.
They moved closer.
Victor Carbone stood beside Sam.
Two armed men near the door.
Mia sat at a metal table.
Her spoon still in hand.
Sam checked his phone.
“Nicolas is late.”
Carbone cursed.
“This is becoming ridiculous.”
Mia looked toward a shadow near the kitchen.
She saw Adrian.
He knew because her eyes widened.
But she did not call out.
Instead she deliberately dropped the spoon.
It clattered beneath the table.
Sam swore.
Mia climbed down.
“I get it.”
She crawled beneath the table.
Perfect.
Adrian moved.
Power disappeared completely.
Marcus had cut the backup circuit.
A man shouted.
Adrian crossed the kitchen.
One guard went down.
The second fired into a wall.
Carbone ran.
Sam shouted, “Mia!”
Adrian reached the table.
A tiny hand grabbed his sleeve.
“Mr. Grumpy!”
He pulled her into his arms.
“I’ve got you.”
“Mommy?”
“Outside.”
“I want Mommy.”
“You’re getting Mommy.”
Sam emerged near the loading door.
Gun raised.
“Adrian!”
Adrian turned.
Mia buried her face in his neck.
Sam aimed.
Then Nicolas stepped through the other entrance.
“Sam!”
Sam’s gun shifted.
“You.”
Nicolas raised empty hands.
“This was me.”
“What?”
“I signed the documents. I helped hide the money. Take me.”
Adrian understood.
Nick was pulling the weapon away from Mia.
Sam laughed.
“You were always weak.”
“Probably.”
Nicolas stepped closer.
“But I’m done being useful to you.”
Sirens sounded outside.
Sam turned.
Marcus had called police after all.
Carbone had been captured near the loading yard.
Sam’s face twisted.
“You think prison scares me?”
“No,” Adrian said.
He held Mia tighter.
“But being irrelevant probably does.”
That landed.
Sam fired.
Nicolas tackled him.
The bullet struck metal.
Adrian passed Mia to a security man and moved.
Three seconds later, Sam was on the floor.
Adrian’s hand closed around his throat.
Sam laughed breathlessly.
“There he is.”
Adrian could have killed him.
Everyone knew it.
Sam wanted him to.
Wanted proof that Adrian was exactly the man Sam had spent decades creating.
Then Mia’s voice came from behind him.
“Mr. Grumpy?”
Adrian froze.
He looked back.
She was crying.
Not because of Sam.
Because of him.
Adrian released Sam.
Stood.
Police rushed in.
Mia ran.
Adrian dropped to one knee and caught her.
She wrapped both arms around his neck.
“You came.”
“I promised.”
Elena appeared seconds later.
“Mia!”
Their reunion broke something open inside Adrian.
Mother and daughter clung to each other.
Elena kissed Mia’s hair, face, hands.
Then she reached for Adrian.
Not carefully.
Not politely.
She pulled him into them.
For one moment, all three were holding each other in the middle of an ugly industrial kitchen while police dragged away men who had ruled their lives through fear.
Mia looked up at Adrian.
“You’re still grumpy.”
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
Elena stared.
Mia smiled.
May you like
“I fixed you.”
And perhaps she had.
