Chapter 11 - The Man Who Wanted Me Gone
“No.”
Adrian stood directly in front of me.
“You’re not going inside.”
“Luca is in there.”
“My son.”
“My nephew.”
The word hit both of us.
Nephew.
I hadn’t used it much.
Now it mattered.
“I won’t lose both of you.”
“You won’t.”
“You cannot promise that.”
“Neither can you.”
Police negotiators prepared around the property.
Detective Harris wanted time.
Dante wanted me.
Every minute Luca cried felt unbearable.
Adrian gripped my shoulders.
“Listen to me.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re preparing to ignore me.”
“That means I’m listening first.”
“This isn’t funny.”
“I know.”
His hands tightened slightly.
Then loosened immediately.
“I watched Sofia leave that night.”
I went still.
“She said she needed air.”
His voice cracked.
“I could have followed.”
“Adrian.”
“I didn’t.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I let her leave.”
“You didn’t let her do anything. She made a choice.”
“I should have gone.”
“You can’t punish me for what happened to her.”
That stopped him.
I continued quietly.
“And you can’t protect me by turning me into a prisoner.”
His eyes closed.
“I hate when you sound reasonable.”
“I’m enjoying it.”
Despite everything, his forehead touched mine for half a second.
Not romantic exactly.
Not yet.
Something more fragile.
Trust.
“Come back,” he whispered.
“I will.”
I entered the house alone.
No weapon.
No visible wire.
But police placed a tiny transmitter inside my collar.
The foyer smelled dusty.
Luca cried upstairs.
“Dante?”
“Kitchen.”
I followed the voice.
Dante Moretti sat at a long wooden table.
Sixties.
Silver hair.
Well dressed.
Family resemblance to Adrian around the eyes.
A pistol rested on the table.
He smiled.
“So.”
I stopped.
“Sofia’s ghost.”
“I’m Elina.”
“Technically Elena.”
“People I like call me Elina.”
“That sounds like Sofia.”
“So I keep hearing.”
He laughed softly.
“You really have no idea what your existence did.”
“I was six months old.”
“Exactly.”
“You’re blaming a baby?”
“I’m blaming bloodlines.”
I looked upstairs.
“Where is Luca?”
“Safe.”
“I want to see him.”
“Sit.”
“No.”
His smile disappeared.
“You’re brave.”
“No. I’m tired.”
That seemed to surprise him.
“Tired of men older than me deciding my life is property. Tired of hidden letters. Tired of people threatening babies over real estate.”
Dante leaned back.
“Two hundred eighty million dollars isn’t real estate.”
“It’s still dirt beside water.”
He stared.
Then laughed.
“Sofia said something similar.”
My heart tightened.
“You knew her well?”
“Since she was a child.”
“Did you love her?”
The question surprised him.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you kill her?”
His face hardened.
“I didn’t.”
“Caleb rammed her car on your orders.”
“I told him to stop her.”
“With another vehicle.”
“I told him to frighten her.”
“She died.”
“Yes.”
“No regret?”
His jaw tightened.
“Every day.”
“Not enough to stop you from taking her baby.”
He looked upstairs.
“That wasn’t the plan.”
“What is?”
“To survive.”
“From what?”
“Adrian.”
I laughed.
“You kidnapped his son. That seems counterproductive.”
Dante leaned forward.
“You think Adrian is different because he holds the baby gently?”
I said nothing.
“You have no idea what the Moretti family is.”
“I know what you are.”
His expression darkened.
“Your father—Marco—wanted to destroy Vincent. Vincent wanted the harbor. My brother wanted Vincent’s network. Everyone wanted something.”
“And Sofia?”
“Sofia wanted truth.”
“That was dangerous?”
“To men built on lies? Extremely.”
“Why me?”
“Because you reopen every claim.”
“And Luca?”
“He inherited Sofia’s.”
“So kill us and everything disappears?”
Dante smiled sadly.
“That’s what Vincent wanted.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He ordered your death months ago.”
“Then why am I alive?”
“I stopped it.”
I stared.
He continued.
“Vincent wanted you eliminated once Sofia identified you. I convinced him surveillance was safer.”
“Why?”
“Because you were useful.”
“Not kindness.”
“Never mistake restraint for kindness.”
At least he was honest.
“Where is Vincent?”
Dante’s smile faded.
“Dead if Adrian’s men found him.”
I hadn’t heard that.
Maybe a bluff.
“Why did you send Sofia’s ring?”
“To frighten Adrian.”
“Where did you get it?”
Dante looked toward the window.
“Caleb.”
“From the crash?”
“Yes.”
My stomach turned.
A trophy.
Proof.
Luca cried louder.
I stepped toward the stairs.
Dante picked up the pistol.
“Sit.”
I stopped.
“Don’t point that at me.”
“You’re in no position—”
“You already caused one sister’s death.”
His hand froze.
“Are you really going to look at the same face and do it again?”
For the first time, Dante looked shaken.
Good.
I pushed.
“Sofia trusted you once, didn’t she?”
Silence.
“She probably called you Uncle Dante.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Stop.”
“She probably let you hold Luca.”
“Stop.”
“And then you ordered a man to chase her on the road.”
“I said stop!”
His voice echoed.
Upstairs, Luca screamed.
Dante flinched.
I saw it.
He wasn’t emotionless.
He had simply buried emotion beneath justification.
That made him predictable.
“You hear him?”
Dante looked away.
“That is Sofia’s son.”
“I know.”
“He has her eyes.”
“I know.”
“Then let me take him.”
His hand trembled.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if I surrender, Adrian destroys me.”
“That may happen.”
He laughed bitterly.
“Terrible negotiator.”
“I’m not negotiating.”
“What are you doing?”
“Giving you one chance to do something Sofia would forgive.”
Silence.
Dante stared at me.
Then upstairs.
Then the pistol.
I saw the exact moment he began considering it.
Then another voice came from the hallway.
“Don’t be stupid.”
Vincent Ralston stepped from the shadows.
My stomach dropped.
Alive.
Very alive.
He held Luca.
The baby was crying desperately.
Vincent pressed a gun near his own side.
Not directly at the child.
But close enough.
Dante stood.
“You weren’t supposed to come.”
Vincent smiled.
“You were becoming sentimental.”
“Give me the baby.”
“No.”
“Vincent.”
“You’ve always been weak around family.”
Dante raised his pistol.
Vincent laughed.
“You’re going to shoot me while I’m holding the heir?”
I looked at Luca.
His face was red from crying.
He saw me.
Both hands reached.
“Elina…”
Not a real word.
Just infant sound.
But my heart broke.
I stepped forward.
Vincent moved back.
“No.”
“Give him to me.”
“Bring me the original ledger.”
“It isn’t here.”
“Then call Adrian.”
“I don’t know where he hid it.”
Vincent smiled.
“He’ll tell you.”
“No.”
“He cares about you.”
I froze.
Vincent noticed.
Interesting.
“He does.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It means grief has made him predictable.”
I looked toward the hidden transmitter.
Vincent followed my gaze.
Then ripped it from my collar.
He crushed it.
Outside, communication went dead.
Vincent smiled.
“Now it’s just family.”
Dante lowered his gun.
“Let them go.”
Vincent stared.
“You really are weak.”
“I’m done.”
“Done?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t get to be done.”
Dante looked at me.
“Sofia asked me once whether people like us could change.”
My throat tightened.
“What did you say?”
“I laughed.”
His eyes became wet.
“I think I gave the wrong answer.”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
Then everything happened at once.
Dante moved toward Luca.
Vincent raised his gun.
I lunged.
A shot exploded.
Glass shattered.
Luca screamed.
May you like
And in the chaos, someone crashed through the kitchen door.
Adrian.
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