Chapter 5 - THE BLACK SUV
"My brother?" The words ripped from my throat. "Liam is at his dorm! How does Carlo have Liam?" Panic seized my chest, squeezing so tightly I couldn't breathe. I was just a housekeeper. I dusted shelves and washed linens. How had the mafia dragged my innocent nineteen-year-old brother into this nightmare? "Emma, look at me," Luca said, gripping my shoulders firmly. His touch was warm and grounding. "I will not let Carlo hurt him. Do you understand? You have my word." I nodded, fighting back tears. "Take Joe through the secret passage behind the bookcase," Luca instructed, pressing a hidden button under his desk. A section of the mahogany shelves swung open, revealing a dark, narrow corridor. "It leads to the underground garage. Get into the armored black SUV. Wait for me." "What are you going to do?" I asked, gripping the handles of the wheelchair. "I'm going to welcome my underboss to the engagement party," Luca said, his voice turning to ice. I pushed Joe into the dark passage. The heavy bookcase clicked shut behind us, plunging us into dim light. We moved quickly down the sloping concrete ramp. "Emma," Joe wheezed, clutching his lunchbox. "Carlo is a monster. He won't hesitate to kill your brother to maintain his power." "He won't get the chance," I said, praying I was right. We reached the underground garage. The black SUV was waiting. I helped Joe into the backseat and climbed in beside him, locking the doors. My phone buzzed in my apron pocket. It was an unknown number. I answered it with a trembling hand. "Hello?" "Emma." The voice was smooth, cultured, and terrifying. Carlo Bellini. "I understand you've been causing quite a stir tonight. Finding old men, assaulting my security chief." "Where is my brother?" I demanded, tears spilling down my face. "He's sitting right next to me in the courtyard," Carlo said pleasantly. "He thinks I'm a friend of your employer. If you want him to stay breathing, you are going to bring me the old man and the lunchbox. Right now." "I can't do that," I whispered. "You have two minutes, Emma. Or Liam takes a bullet." The line went dead. I dropped the phone. I couldn't trade an innocent old man's life for my brother's. But I couldn't let Liam die. Suddenly, Joe placed a weathered hand on my knee. "Emma," he said quietly. "Open the lunchbox." I looked at him, confused. He unlatched the metal box. Beneath the scorched earring and the old badge was a false bottom. Joe pried it up. Resting inside was a small, leather-bound notebook. "What is that?" I asked. "Maria gave it to me right before she ran back into the burning house," Joe said. "She told me it was her life insurance. I never knew what was inside. I couldn't read the Italian." I took the notebook and flipped it open. It was filled with dates, names, and massive financial figures. It was a ledger. She knows where the ledger is. "This is proof of everything Carlo stole," I realized. "This is why he started the fire. He was embezzling from Luca's father, and Maria found out." "Give it to him," Joe said firmly. "Trade it for your brother." "I can't just walk out there," I cried. "He'll kill us both!" Before I could move, the garage doors hummed open. A sleek silver sedan rolled in, followed immediately by Carlo Bellini himself. He stepped out of the car, looking perfectly tailored in an expensive suit. And beside him, looking utterly terrified with a gun pressed to his ribs, was my brother Liam. Carlo looked directly at the black SUV. He knew exactly where we were. "Get out, Emma!" Carlo's voice echoed in the concrete garage. "Bring me the box!" I grabbed the ledger and the lunchbox. "Stay down, Joe," I whispered. I opened the door and stepped out into the cold garage. "Let him go," I yelled, holding up the lunchbox. "I have what you want." Carlo smiled. "Bring it here." I took three steps forward. Suddenly, a deafening gunshot rang out. It didn't come from Carlo's men. The gun in the hand of the man holding Liam exploded into pieces. The guard screamed, dropping to the floor. Carlo spun around. Standing at the top of the concrete ramp, holding a smoking sniper rifle, was Luca. "Step away from the boy, Carlo," Luca commanded, his voice echoing like thunder.
