Chapter 7 - THE PRICE OF A DAUGHTER
Clare’s scream tore through the villa.
Dante had heard people scream from fear, pain and rage.
A mother screaming her child’s name was different.
It contained all three.
“Maya!”
Clare ran toward the open window.
Dante caught her.
“Let me go!”
“Clare.”
“He has her!”
“I know.”
“I have to find her!”
“We will.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!”
“I won’t.”
That stopped her.
Dante held her face.
“Be terrified. Be angry. Break every window in this house if you need to. But stay with me.”
She stared into his eyes.
“We’re getting her back.”
Marco found the security breach.
One guard had disabled the west cameras.
Anthony Russo.
Dante had known him twelve years.
The same man had worked security the day Alessia died.
The traitor.
Marco located Anthony’s abandoned car near Tivoli.
Inside was Maya’s pink hair clip.
Clare held it against her chest.
Then Dante’s phone rang.
Richard.
Dante answered.
Maya’s voice came first.
“Mommy?”
Clare grabbed the phone.
“Maya!”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Then Richard took the phone.
“Memory card.”
Clare’s face hardened.
“You touch her—”
“I never wanted to hurt Maya.”
“You pushed her into a table.”
Silence.
Richard lowered his voice.
“Bring the card to the old paper mill outside Tivoli. Midnight.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because Luca doesn’t forgive debt.”
Clare finally understood.
Richard was not the mastermind.
He was terrified too.
“You’re afraid of him.”
“Midnight.”
The call ended.
Dante already had a plan.
Clare rejected it.
“I’m going.”
“No.”
She stared.
His jaw tightened.
Then he caught himself.
“You’re right.”
“What?”
“I said no without asking.”
He exhaled.
“I don’t want you there.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“I know.”
“Then I’m going.”
Dante looked like the decision physically hurt him.
“Then you stay beside me.”
At 11:58 p.m., Clare walked into the abandoned mill carrying the memory card.
Dante remained hidden with Marco and his men.
Richard stood beneath a broken industrial light.
Maya sat on a chair nearby.
She was crying but unharmed.
“Mommy!”
Clare moved.
Richard raised a gun.
“Stop.”
Clare froze.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I won’t.”
“Then let her go.”
“Card first.”
Clare held it up.
A second voice came from the darkness.
“I’ll take it.”
Luca Vescari emerged.
Elegant.
Silver-haired.
Smiling.
Marco whispered through Dante’s earpiece.
“I have a shot.”
Dante answered.
“Not with Maya there.”
Luca approached Clare.
“You look remarkably ordinary for a woman who has caused this much trouble.”
Clare stared at him.
“You murdered Elena.”
Richard flinched.
Luca smiled.
“Elena made unfortunate decisions.”
“And Alessia?”
The smile remained.
“Another unfortunate decision.”
Dante heard every word.
They were recording.
Clare needed more.
“You ordered the bomb?”
Luca looked amused.
“You think this is television?”
Smart.
He would not confess cleanly.
Then Maya did something nobody expected.
She bit Richard.
Hard.
He shouted.
Maya ran.
“MOMMY!”
Chaos erupted.
Clare lunged toward her.
Richard grabbed Clare.
A gun fired.
Dante came out of the darkness.
Marco tackled Richard.
Luca ran toward a rear exit.
Anthony Russo appeared from above and fired at Dante.
Clare saw him first.
“DANTE!”
Dante turned.
Marco fired.
Anthony fell.
Dante reached Clare and Maya.
“You okay?”
Clare nodded frantically.
“Maya?”
“I’m okay.”
Richard crawled toward his weapon.
Then he stopped.
Marco stood over him.
For years Marco had imagined what he would do to anyone responsible for Elena’s death.
Now one of those men lay beneath him.
Richard whispered, “I can tell you everything.”
Marco’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Clare held Maya’s face against her shoulder.
“Marco.”
He looked at her.
“Maya shouldn’t remember you this way.”
Marco stared at his niece.
Then lowered the gun.
Police sirens approached.
Luca had escaped.
Richard had not.
Neither had Anthony.
Dante held Clare against him.
“It’s over.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
She knew men like Luca.
Richard had taught her.
A controlling man did not surrender because one plan failed.
“He’ll come again.”
Dante knew she was right.
Then his phone rang.
Sofia’s number.
He answered.
Nobody spoke.
Instead came the sound of Leo crying.
Then Luca’s voice.
“You took my daughter.”
Dante went white.
May you like
Luca continued.
“So I took your son.”
