Chapter 4 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Emergency lights flooded the hallway in dim red.
Victor had a gun in his hand before Serena understood where it had come from.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
His head snapped toward her.
“That was not a request.”
“My daughter is seven years old,” Serena whispered fiercely. “I’m not getting killed during my first night because you want to play action hero.”
To her surprise, Victor almost smiled.
Then another shot sounded outside.
The amusement vanished.
Enzo’s voice came through Victor’s earpiece.
“North wall. Shooter gone. One camera disabled.”
“Casualties?”
“No.”
“Lock the property down.”
Victor turned to Serena.
“Take the boys into the interior safe room.”
“What safe room?”
Marco was already climbing from bed.
“I know.”
Of course he did.
The children moved with a familiarity that broke Serena’s heart.
This had happened before.
Maybe not tonight’s exact situation, but emergency drills.
Threats.
Security.
The price of being Rinaldis.
Marco led them through a closet where a hidden panel opened into a reinforced room.
Beds.
Water.
Medical supplies.
A television.
Games.
Victor remained outside.
Tommy grabbed his hand.
“Daddy.”
Victor stopped.
The little boy rarely spoke loudly.
Now his voice shook.
“Don’t go.”
Victor crouched.
“I’m coming back.”
“Mommy said that.”
Everything stopped.
Victor’s face became almost unrecognizable.
Serena looked away, giving him privacy he had not asked for.
Victor gathered Tommy into his arms.
“I know.”
He kissed his hair.
“I know she did.”
Tommy cried silently.
Victor held him longer than Serena expected.
Then he placed his son inside the safe room and closed the door.
Serena spent the next forty minutes distracting four terrified boys.
She invented a ridiculous competition involving crackers, bottled water, and guessing which famous animals could defeat Victor in a wrestling match.
Nico voted rhinoceros.
Alessandro insisted gorilla.
Marco said nobody because “Dad probably cheats.”
Tommy eventually smiled.
At 9:17, the door opened.
Victor entered with Enzo.
“No one breached the grounds.”
Marco asked, “Did you kill anybody?”
“No.”
“Did Uncle Enzo?”
Enzo frowned.
“Why am I suddenly the violent one?”
“Because you look mean.”
Serena coughed to hide a laugh.
Victor held out his hand.
“Bed.”
The boys obeyed more easily now.
Fear had exhausted them.
When they were settled again, Serena followed Victor downstairs.
“You can go home,” he said.
Her heart dropped.
She had assumed the job was gone.
“Am I fired?”
“What?”
“You said go home.”
“You’re not fired.”
“Oh.”
Victor studied her.
“Most people would be running.”
“Most people have more than thirty-six dollars.”
His eyes sharpened.
Serena regretted the admission immediately.
Victor leaned against the kitchen counter.
“What happened?”
“None of your business.”
“You’re working inside my house around my children. Everything about you is my business.”
“No, it isn’t.”
His gaze hardened.
She held it.
Eventually Victor gave a short nod.
“Fine.”
Serena collected her purse.
“Be here tomorrow at seven.”
“I thought breakfast was seven.”
“It is.”
“That means I need to be here before seven.”
Victor looked at her.
She looked back.
“Six forty-five.”
“Six thirty.”
“Six forty.”
“Six thirty-five.”
Serena sighed.
“Are you negotiating my arrival time?”
“I negotiate everything.”
“Six thirty-five.”
“Done.”
She reached the entryway before Victor spoke again.
“Serena.”
She turned.
He held Adriana’s medal.
“The man who gave this to Tommy is named Gabriel Moretti.”
“Your brother-in-law?”
“Yes.”
“And you saw him die?”
“I saw a building explode with him inside.”
“That’s not exactly the same.”
Victor’s expression said he disliked the observation because it was accurate.
“Gabriel blamed me for Adriana’s death.”
Serena went still.
“How did she die?”
Victor’s voice lowered.
“Car bomb.”
Serena instinctively looked upstairs.
“The boys?”
“They were eighteen months old.”
“My God.”
“Adriana was driving to meet me. Someone put an explosive beneath her car.”
“Who?”
“We never proved it.”
“Gabriel thought it was you?”
“He thought my enemies caused it, which in his mind was the same thing.”
Serena understood.
Victor had probably blamed himself too.
She stepped toward the door.
“Good night.”
Victor nodded.
Outside, the rain had weakened.
A black SUV waited to take her home, despite her insistence she could use the subway.
When Serena reached her apartment forty minutes later, she knew immediately something was wrong.
The hallway light outside her unit had been smashed.
Her door stood open.
Serena stopped breathing.
“Lucia!”
She ran inside.
Furniture overturned.
Drawers emptied.
Her cheap television shattered.
“Lucia!”
“Mommy!”
Serena spun.
Lucia crawled from behind the sofa and launched herself into Serena’s arms.
“Oh, baby.”
Serena dropped to her knees, squeezing her daughter so tightly Lucia squeaked.
“I hid like you taught me.”
“You did perfect.”
A neighbor appeared in the doorway.
“I called the police.”
Serena’s heart pounded.
“Did you see anyone?”
“No. I heard the door break.”
Lucia clung tighter.
Then Serena noticed the dining table.
An envelope sat neatly in the center.
Not stolen.
Not damaged.
Placed deliberately.
Her name was written across it.
SERENA VALENTE.
Inside was a single photograph.
Lucia leaving school three days earlier.
On the back, written in black ink:
QUIT THE RINALDI JOB.
OR NEXT TIME WE TAKE THE GIRL.
Serena stared until the letters blurred.
Her phone rang.
Victor.
She answered with shaking fingers.
“You need to listen to me.”
Victor heard something in her voice.
“What happened?”
“Someone broke into my apartment.”
Silence.
Then his voice changed.
“Is Lucia safe?”
“Yes.”
“What did they take?”
“Nothing.”
Victor understood before she explained.
“What did they leave?”
Serena looked at the photograph.
“A warning.”
Five seconds later he said, “Do not touch anything. I’m coming.”
“Victor—”
The line disconnected.
Ten minutes later the hallway filled with men in black suits.
Victor entered last.
He saw Lucia wrapped around Serena.
He saw the destroyed apartment.
Then he read the note.
His expression became terrifyingly empty.
Serena stood.
“I quit.”
Victor slowly raised his eyes.
“What?”
“I can’t risk her.”
“No.”
“You don’t get to say no.”
“If you leave now, whoever did this learns that threatening your child controls you.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should.”
“My daughter matters more than your war!”
Victor crossed the room until only a few feet separated them.
“And that is exactly why neither of you is staying here tonight.”
Serena stared.
“What are you talking about?”
“You and Lucia are coming to the estate.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You’re insane.”
“Possibly.”
Victor looked toward Lucia, and his expression softened almost imperceptibly.
“But whoever sent this knew you worked for me less than three hours after I hired you.”
Serena’s stomach dropped.
“That means what?”
Victor folded the photograph.
“It means the person watching my sons is also watching you.”
May you like
He glanced toward the broken door.
“And it means someone inside my house may be telling them everything.”
