Chapter 6 - Valyria’s Secret
Amelia did not open the door.
Daniel stood beside the wall, weapon lowered but ready.
“Prove you’re alone,” he called.
Valyria answered, “I’m not.”
Daniel looked at Amelia.
Valyria continued.
“There are two men with me. They work for Roman.”
Amelia stepped closer to the door.
“Names.”
“Caleb Ross and Jonah Pierce.”
Amelia knew both.
Longtime Duca security.
That did not guarantee safety.
“How did you find me?” Amelia asked.
Valyria hesitated.
“That’s complicated.”
“Then start talking.”
“Gabriel tracked your call to Roman.”
Amelia closed her eyes.
Claire had been right.
“Roman sent you?”
“No.”
That answer surprised her.
“Then why are Roman’s men with you?”
“Because I stole them.”
Despite the danger, Amelia almost smiled.
Outside, Valyria sounded impatient.
“Amelia, Gabriel’s team is seven minutes behind me. We can discuss how much you hate me while driving.”
Daniel whispered, “She could be lying.”
Amelia looked toward the dark parking lot.
A vehicle appeared at the far entrance.
Then another.
“Open it,” she said.
Daniel unlocked the door.
Valyria entered wearing jeans, boots, and a black coat.
Nothing about her resembled the shaken woman Amelia had seen clinging to Roman.
Her eyes went immediately to Amelia’s stomach.
“You’re okay.”
Amelia’s voice cooled.
“Were you hoping otherwise?”
Valyria flinched.
“I deserve that.”
“We don’t have time,” Daniel said.
They moved.
Caleb drove.
Jonah followed in a second SUV.
As they left the motel, headlights turned in behind them.
Valyria looked backward.
“Gabriel.”
Caleb accelerated.
Amelia gripped the seat.
“Where are we going?”
“A safe house Gabriel doesn’t know.”
“Roman’s?”
“No.”
Valyria looked at her.
“Mine.”
Amelia laughed bitterly.
“You have a private safe house.”
“My father left several properties under false names.”
“Paid for by Gabriel?”
Valyria’s face changed.
“You found the money.”
“Yes.”
Valyria looked down.
“I didn’t know it was Gabriel.”
“Ten thousand dollars a month for four years and you never wondered?”
“I thought it came from an investment trust my father created.”
“Convenient.”
“It was.”
Amelia stared out the window.
For years she had resented Valyria.
Not because Roman loved her.
He didn’t.
But because Valyria possessed an unlimited claim on Roman’s conscience.
Every emergency became sacred because Enzo’s name stood behind it.
Valyria whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Amelia looked at her.
“For what?”
“For more things than I can fit into one drive.”
“Try.”
Valyria took a breath.
“I liked knowing Roman would come when I called.”
The honesty was ugly.
That made Amelia believe it.
“I knew he didn’t love me. Not like that. But after my father died, Roman became the only person who made me feel like I still belonged somewhere.”
“So you called him.”
“Yes.”
“Constantly.”
“Yes.”
“Even when you knew it caused problems between us.”
Valyria’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Amelia looked away.
Valyria continued.
“I told myself it was his responsibility to create boundaries.”
“That’s partly true.”
“I know.”
“But you knew what you were doing.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
“I didn’t know about the kidnapping,” Valyria said. “I swear.”
Amelia believed that too.
“What about the phone call asking whether Roman would honor his promise?”
“I told him.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“And?”
“He threw me out.”
Amelia almost smiled.
“That sounds like Roman.”
“He was right.”
Their vehicle turned onto a narrow rural road.
Caleb checked the mirror.
“Still two cars behind.”
Daniel said, “Can we lose them?”
“We’ll try.”
Amelia’s stomach tightened suddenly.
Not pain exactly.
A hard pulling sensation.
She inhaled.
Daniel noticed.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Valyria looked worried.
“Are you sure?”
“I said yes.”
Nobody argued.
The safe house was a hunting lodge hidden behind woods near the Pennsylvania line.
Roman did not know about it.
At least according to Valyria.
They arrived after midnight.
Jonah remained outside.
Caleb disabled exterior lights.
Daniel checked rooms.
Amelia sat near the fireplace.
Her exhaustion felt bone-deep.
Valyria brought water.
Amelia accepted it.
“Thank you.”
They sat silently.
Finally Amelia asked, “Why did you come?”
Valyria looked into the fire.
“Because after Roman rescued me, I realized something.”
“What?”
“I had gotten what some awful part of me wanted.”
Amelia waited.
“Proof,” Valyria said. “He chose me.”
Her voice cracked.
“And it felt horrible.”
Amelia said nothing.
Valyria wiped her eyes.
“Roman looked at me after we reached safety like he had just destroyed his entire life.”
“He might have.”
“I know.”
Valyria faced her.
“I don’t want your husband.”
“He may not be my husband much longer.”
Valyria looked startled.
Amelia touched the finger where her ring had been.
“I left it.”
“With Roman?”
“Daniel’s house.”
Valyria’s expression softened.
“Does he know?”
“He found it.”
“Oh.”
Neither spoke for a while.
Eventually Valyria said, “He will never stop looking for you.”
“That isn’t romantic.”
“I know.”
“It’s exhausting.”
“I know that too.”
At three in the morning, Amelia finally slept.
Roman, meanwhile, was standing inside Matteo’s apartment.
Empty.
His cousin had disappeared after meeting Gabriel.
Stefano searched the desk.
“Computer is gone.”
Roman examined photographs on the wall.
Family.
Birthdays.
Christmas.
Matteo beside Roman at sixteen.
Matteo beside him at twenty-five.
Matteo holding a glass at Roman’s wedding.
Betrayal always looked obvious afterward.
At the bottom of a drawer, Roman found an old photograph.
Enzo Marino.
Gabriel Serrano.
Roman’s father.
Matteo’s father.
Four men standing outside a restaurant twenty-five years earlier.
On the back someone had written:
The sons will inherit what the fathers build.
Roman stared.
His father had died before Roman turned twenty.
Matteo’s father died two years later.
Enzo died saving Roman.
Only Gabriel remained.
“Stefano.”
“What?”
“Matteo thinks this belongs to him.”
“What?”
“Everything.”
Roman understood the betrayal now.
Matteo had not joined Gabriel merely for money.
He believed Roman had stolen an inheritance.
Roman’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Gabriel’s voice came through.
“You found the photograph.”
Roman said nothing.
Gabriel chuckled.
“Your father was always arrogant.”
“What do you want?”
“What I wanted from the beginning.”
“Me broken?”
“No.”
Gabriel’s voice softened.
“I want you to understand.”
“Understand what?”
“That loyalty is only beautiful until you must choose between two people you owe.”
Roman’s hand tightened.
“You killed a woman and dressed her like my wife.”
“A necessary demonstration.”
“You’re going to die for that.”
“Perhaps.”
Gabriel sounded amused.
“But not before you lose everything.”
Roman’s expression remained calm.
“You already failed.”
“Did I?”
“Amelia is alive.”
Pause.
Roman smiled without humor.
For the first time, Gabriel had not expected something.
Then Gabriel said, “For now.”
The line went dead.
Roman immediately called his surveillance team.
“Trace.”
“No good.”
Stefano entered.
“We’ve got another problem.”
“What?”
“Valyria disappeared.”
Roman stared.
“With Caleb and Jonah.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know.”
Roman thought of Amelia’s call being intercepted.
Then something clicked.
“Valyria found her.”
Stefano looked surprised.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
Roman grabbed his coat.
“Find Caleb.”
At the hunting lodge, dawn light appeared through trees.
Amelia woke to shouting outside.
Daniel entered.
“Stay down.”
“What?”
“Someone’s here.”
Gunfire cracked.
Valyria ran into the room.
“Gabriel found us.”
Caleb shouted from the doorway.
“Back exit!”
They moved through the kitchen.
Another shot shattered glass.
Daniel pushed Amelia low.
They reached the back porch.
A vehicle waited beyond the trees.
Jonah ran ahead.
Then he stopped.
A man emerged from behind the SUV.
Tall.
Gray coat.
Silver hair.
Valyria whispered, “Gabriel.”
Gabriel Serrano smiled.
His gaze moved from Valyria to Amelia.
“There you are.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
Gabriel’s men appeared from both sides.
Too many.
Gabriel held up a hand.
“No one needs to die.”
Amelia’s voice was steady.
“A woman already did.”
His smile faded slightly.
“Collateral damage.”
Amelia hated him instantly.
Gabriel looked at Valyria.
“You look like your father.”
“Don’t say his name.”
“I loved Enzo.”
“No. You loved owning his memory.”
Gabriel’s eyes sharpened.
Valyria stepped closer to Amelia.
Gabriel sighed.
“How disappointing.”
Then another sound rolled through the woods.
Engines.
Many.
Black SUVs appeared on the access road.
Gabriel turned.
Roman Duca stepped from the first vehicle.
His eyes found Amelia immediately.
Everything else disappeared from his face.
Relief.
Pain.
Love.
Then he saw Gabriel.
Roman drew his weapon.
Gabriel’s men raised theirs.
Amelia stood between two armies.
Roman took one step forward.
“Let her go.”
Gabriel smiled.
“You really should stop saying that before people choose whether to obey.”
Roman’s eyes never left Amelia.
This time, before commanding anyone else, he asked her a question.
“Amelia.”
Her throat tightened.
“Do you want to come with me?”
The entire forest seemed to go silent.
And Amelia realized Roman had finally done something he had almost never done before.
May you like
He had given the choice to her.
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