Chapter 7 - The Child They Took
Dominic became calm.
Marco knew that calm.
It was more dangerous than shouting.
"Where?" Dominic asked.
Rosa read the address from the note.
An abandoned warehouse near the river.
Marco shook his head immediately.
"Trap."
"Obviously."
"You aren't going alone."
"The note says—"
"I can read."
Dominic looked at Elena.
"Take Rosa somewhere safe."
"What about you?"
"I'm bringing my daughter home."
Marco stepped closer.
"Dom, you're sick."
Dominic's eyes turned hard.
"I'm not dead."
They prepared without discussing revenge.
That surprised Marco.
Three years earlier Dominic would have mobilized fifty men.
Tonight he contacted only trusted security and one federal investigator Isabella had once worked with.
Elena's warning remained in his mind.
Justice, not war.
Perhaps love was changing the way Dominic understood strength.
At the warehouse, Valentina sat tied to a chair.
Victor stood nearby.
Aleandro paced.
"This wasn't the plan," Aleandro said.
Victor laughed.
"Plans change."
"She's seven."
"So was your nephew."
Aleandro struck him.
Victor wiped blood from his lip and smiled.
"Finally developed a conscience?"
"Don't touch her."
Valentina watched them.
She was terrified but silent.
Aleandro crouched several feet away.
"I'm sorry."
She glared.
"My mom said you were bad."
Aleandro looked away.
"Your mother misunderstood things."
"You killed her."
His face changed.
"No."
"Victor did."
Aleandro looked toward his associate.
Victor smiled.
"Children hear everything."
Aleandro stood.
"What did you do?"
"Cleaned up your mistakes."
For perhaps the first time, Aleandro understood what he had created.
A man like Victor had once seemed useful.
Now he looked monstrous.
Outside, Dominic arrived carrying a case.
He entered alone.
"Valentina?"
"Dad!"
The word struck everyone.
It was the first time she had called him that.
Dominic froze for half a second.
Then his gaze moved to Victor.
"Let her go."
Victor pointed a gun.
"The drive."
Dominic raised the case.
"First her."
Aleandro stepped forward.
"Dominic."
Dominic looked at his brother.
No rage.
That was worse.
"You killed my wife."
Aleandro swallowed.
"It wasn't supposed—"
"You killed my son."
"I didn't know Matteo was going."
"That sentence is supposed to help?"
"No."
"Then don't say his name."
Aleandro looked destroyed.
Victor interrupted.
"Enough family therapy."
Dominic placed the case on the floor.
"The evidence is inside."
Victor moved toward it.
Dominic watched Aleandro.
"You can still do one decent thing."
Aleandro laughed bitterly.
"After everything?"
"Untie her."
Victor turned.
"Don't."
Aleandro stared at Valentina.
The child was shaking.
For three years Aleandro had dreamt of Matteo's funeral.
Tiny coffin.
Dominic unable to stand.
Isabella's mother screaming.
He had buried the memory beneath money, power and excuses.
Now another frightened child sat in front of him.
Aleandro moved.
Victor raised the weapon.
"I said don't."
Aleandro ignored him and reached Valentina.
The gun fired.
A bullet struck metal above them.
Dominic moved.
Outside, Marco's team entered from both sides.
Chaos erupted.
Dominic reached Valentina.
He cut the bindings.
"Are you hurt?"
She threw herself around him.
Victor attempted to escape through a rear door and was tackled outside.
Aleandro remained standing in the center of the warehouse.
He had no weapon.
No smile.
Only exhaustion.
Police sirens approached.
Dominic stared at his brother.
Aleandro whispered, "I didn't mean for Matteo to die."
Dominic's eyes filled.
"But you meant for Isabella to."
Aleandro lowered his head.
"Yes."
Dominic could have killed him.
Aleandro seemed to expect it.
Instead Dominic stepped backward.
"You'll live."
Aleandro looked up.
"Why?"
"Because dying would be easier."
Federal agents entered.
Aleandro was handcuffed.
Dominic turned away.
Outside, Valentina sat wrapped in Marco's coat inside an ambulance.
Dominic crouched before her.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
Then shook her head.
Then began crying.
Dominic held her.
"You came."
"Of course."
"You said I'd be safe."
His face tightened.
"I failed."
"No."
She wiped her eyes.
"You came."
Dominic placed his forehead against hers.
The ambulance lights painted the night red and blue.
"Valentina."
"Yeah?"
"You called me Dad."
She looked embarrassed.
"I forgot."
Dominic smiled through tears.
"You can forget again whenever you want."
She hugged him.
Then Dominic suddenly lost his balance.
Valentina screamed.
Marco caught him before he struck the pavement.
"Dom!"
Dominic tried to stand.
Couldn't.
His vision darkened.
The illness he had ignored finally demanded attention.
He heard Valentina crying.
"Wake up!"
Then everything disappeared.
Dominic woke inside a hospital twelve hours later.
Dr. Falcone stood beside the bed.
Valentina slept curled in a chair near the window, holding the gray rabbit.
Dominic whispered, "How long?"
Rico misunderstood.
"You've been unconscious twelve hours."
"No."
Dominic looked at him.
"How long do I have?"
Falcone's expression hardened.
"If you refuse treatment?"
Dominic waited.
"Perhaps a month."
Dominic looked at Valentina.
"And the trial?"
"Starts Monday."
"Put me in it."
Rico blinked.
"You said—"
"I changed my mind."
"Why?"
Dominic watched the sleeping child.
"Because somebody is waiting for me to come home."
But before Monday arrived, another obstacle appeared.
A woman from Child Protective Services entered the hospital room.
And after reviewing Dominic Moretti's history, she delivered a sentence he had not anticipated.
May you like
"Mr. Moretti, Valentina cannot return to your home."
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