Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT LUCA CAME FOR LILY
I moved Isabella and Lily to the safest place I owned.
Not the mansion.
Too obvious.
A secure townhouse on the Upper East Side registered through three holding companies.
Only Marco and two guards knew the address.
I still didn’t feel safe.
Lily noticed.
“You keep checking windows.”
“I like windows.”
“No, you don’t.”
Children should not be that observant.
Isabella sat beside her on the couch.
“Lily, why don’t you finish your homework?”
“I’m doing math.”
“You’re drawing a cat.”
“It’s a math cat.”
I turned away before they saw me smile.
Then Marco called.
“Luca was seen near St. Matthew’s.”
“Sofia?”
“Safe. Baby’s in NICU.”
“Did he enter?”
“No.”
“He wants us watching the hospital.”
“That’s my guess.”
“Then Lily’s his actual target.”
Silence.
“Yes.”
My stomach tightened.
I ordered additional protection.
An hour passed.
Then the lights went out.
Everything.
Isabella stood immediately.
“Alessandro.”
“Stay with Lily.”
Emergency power should have activated.
It didn’t.
I drew my gun.
A crash sounded downstairs.
One guard shouted.
Another sound.
Silence.
“Bathroom,” I whispered.
Isabella grabbed Lily.
“No.”
“Now.”
Lily looked terrified.
I crouched.
“Remember Central Park?”
She nodded.
“You trusted me there.”
Another crash.
“Trust me now.”
She hugged me quickly.
“Don’t get hurt.”
The words nearly destroyed me.
Isabella pulled her toward the reinforced bathroom.
I moved downstairs.
One guard lay near the kitchen.
Breathing.
Blood on his forehead.
Alive.
The back door stood open.
Someone had known the security layout.
Luca.
I heard movement.
Turned.
A man came from the hall.
Not Luca.
One of his father’s old soldiers.
He raised a weapon.
I fired into the wall beside him.
“Drop it.”
He did.
I kicked the gun away.
“Where is Luca?”
He smiled.
“Already upstairs.”
My blood stopped.
I ran.
The bathroom door was open.
Empty.
Window broken.
I reached it.
A rope ladder hung outside.
No Isabella.
No Lily.
I had failed.
I called Marco.
“She’s gone.”
“We’re tracing every camera.”
“He knew the location.”
“Yes.”
“Who else knew?”
“Only you, me, and the two guards.”
The captured man laughed downstairs.
I returned.
“Who gave him the address?”
He said nothing.
I grabbed his collar.
“Who?”
“Marco.”
I froze.
Impossible.
Marco entered the townhouse three minutes later.
I pointed my gun at him.
He stopped.
“What are you doing?”
“He says you gave Luca the address.”
Marco looked at the man.
Then at me.
“He’s lying.”
“Prove it.”
“Check my phone.”
I did.
Nothing.
Then the captured man smiled.
“Not his phone.”
I stared.
“What?”
“The old security channel.”
Marco’s face changed.
I knew.
“What old channel?”
He closed his eyes.
“One your father created.”
“Who has access?”
“Three people.”
“Names.”
“Me.”
He swallowed.
“Luca.”
“And?”
Marco looked ashamed.
“Gianni.”
I called federal custody.
Gianni Russo was missing.
Escaped less than two hours earlier.
My world tilted.
Isabella’s uncle.
The man we thought was helping.
He had Luca.
Or Luca had him.
Either way, someone used the old Moretti security network to track us.
My phone rang.
Luca.
“Where’s Lily?”
“Safe.”
His voice sounded almost cheerful.
“If you hurt her—”
“I’m not interested in hurting children.”
“You threatened Sofia.”
“I threatened you.”
I heard something in the background.
Lily crying.
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Put her on.”
“No.”
“Put her on.”
A pause.
Then Lily’s voice.
“Dad?”
First time.
Not Alessandro.
Not Mr. Moretti.
Dad.
My knees nearly gave out.
“I’m here.”
“Mom’s with me.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Luca says we’re going on a trip.”
“You’re not.”
She whispered, “Okay.”
That trust crushed me.
Luca returned.
“Sweet.”
“What do you want?”
“Everything.”
“Define everything.”
“The Moretti organization.”
I laughed.
“You want me to hand you an empire?”
“Yes.”
“You tried to kill me for it yesterday.”
“Now I’m trying something more civilized.”
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
“Nobody’s civilized.”
Fair point.
“Where do we meet?”
“Your father’s old house in Westchester.”
My childhood home.
Of course.
Midnight.
I spent the next three hours dismantling an empire.
Not literally.
Legally.
Control documents.
Banking access.
Property transfers.
I signed everything into a temporary trust.
Marco stared.
“If he gets these—”
“He won’t.”
“And if the plan fails?”
“Then Lily lives.”
Marco said nothing.
At eleven thirty, I drove to Westchester alone.
At least Luca thought I did.
The old Moretti house stood dark beneath the trees.
I entered.
Lily sat beside Isabella on the staircase.
Both alive.
I breathed again.
Luca stood in the foyer.
Gianni beside him.
Not restrained.
My heart sank.
“You betrayed her.”
Gianni looked at Isabella.
“No.”
Isabella stared at her uncle.
“You brought him here.”
“I brought him because I knew Alessandro would come.”
“Why?”
Gianni’s eyes moved to me.
“Because this family has spent three generations fighting over an empire nobody should have inherited.”
I frowned.
Luca looked irritated.
“Enough philosophy.”
Gianni continued.
“Antonio died trying to end it.”
“My father died trying to end it,” I said.
“Yes.”
I finally understood.
Gianni wasn’t working for Luca.
He was using him.
“You want the organization destroyed.”
“Yes.”
Luca turned.
“What?”
Gianni pulled a gun.
Not at me.
At Luca.
“You were never leaving with anything.”
Chaos exploded.
Luca grabbed Isabella.
Lily screamed.
I moved.
Gianni fired.
The shot hit a chandelier.
Glass crashed.
I reached Lily.
Marco’s team entered from the rear.
Luca dragged Isabella toward a side door.
“Back off!”
He had a gun against her ribs.
I stopped.
Isabella’s eyes found mine.
Then she did something insane.
She stomped hard on Luca’s foot and dropped.
His gun moved.
I lunged.
We hit the floor.
The weapon slid away.
Luca punched me.
I hit back.
Years of rage poured into every movement.
Then I saw Lily.
She stood frozen near the stairs.
Watching.
I stopped.
Again.
Just like before.
I could kill Luca.
Part of me wanted to.
But I would not make my daughter’s first memories of her father end in blood.
I stepped back.
Marco took Luca into custody.
Gianni surrendered voluntarily.
Isabella ran to Lily.
I stood there shaking.
Lily looked at me.
Then ran forward.
I caught her.
She buried her face against my chest.
“You came.”
“Yes.”
“You promised.”
“Yes.”
Her arms tightened.
Then she whispered the word again.
May you like
“Dad.”
And this time, I let myself believe I deserved to hear it.
