Chapter 11 - The Midnight Fire At The Docks
"The Russians don't know the Feds are tipping the containers tomorrow," Vanessa continued, her eyes gleaming with malice. "They expect their shipment. When the FBI seizes it, the Russians will blame you, Luca. You’ll fight a war on two fronts: the feds and the syndicate."
Luca stood perfectly still in the dim cellar light.
"Give me the plane ticket," Vanessa said. "And I’ll give you the abort code for the Feds' anonymous tip line. I can call it off."
Luca stared at her. Then, he slowly pulled his phone from his pocket.
He didn't dial a bank. He didn't order a plane ticket.
He dialed his lieutenant, Marco.
"Marco," Luca said into the phone. "Take a crew down to the east pier. Container blocks 42 through 48."
Vanessa’s smirk faltered. "What are you doing? If you move them, the Feds will trace the trucks!"
"I'm not moving them," Luca said calmly.
He looked directly into Vanessa’s eyes.
"Burn them," Luca ordered over the phone. "Pour gasoline over every single container and light a match. Let the whole pier burn to the waterline."
Vanessa gasped, straining against her chains. "Are you insane?! That’s thirty million dollars worth of weapons! The Russians will kill you!"
"Let them try," Luca said. He hung up the phone.
He looked at Vanessa with utter disgust.
"You thought you could outsmart me with money and guns," Luca said softly. "You forgot who I am. I don't care about the weapons. I don't care about the money. I only care about my family. And I will burn my entire empire to ashes before I let you threaten my daughter’s future."
Vanessa began to panic, thrashing wildly. "Luca! You can't do this! The Russians—"
"Will know exactly who set them up," Luca interrupted. "Because I already sent Elias Thorne’s forged manifests to their boss in Moscow. They know Elias bought the guns. They know Elias tipped the Feds. And they know you are the last Bellini alive."
Vanessa stopped thrashing. The blood drained from her face as the true horror of her situation dawned on her.
"No," she whimpered. "No, Luca, please."
Luca turned his back on her.
"You wanted to be a mobster, Vanessa," Luca said as he walked away. "Congratulations. You’re about to meet your clients."
He walked up the stairs, and I followed him, leaving Vanessa sobbing in the dark.
When we reached the main floor, Luca stopped in the hallway. The adrenaline of the long, bloody night was finally wearing off, leaving him looking intensely weary.
"It’s over," he said quietly, almost to himself.
"Is it?" I asked.
He nodded. "The fire at the docks will erase the evidence. The Russians will handle the rest of the Bellini loyalists. The Commission is satisfied. We are clean."
He looked at me. "Hannah. Your mother’s house... the Bellini estate. I meant what I said. It’s yours."
"I know," I said. "And my mother will be very grateful. She always wanted a garden."
Luca smiled, a genuine, warm expression. "And you? What do you want?"
I looked around the massive, quiet mansion. I thought about the fear I had lived in for eleven months, the cruelty I had witnessed, and the unbelievable strength I had found in myself.
"I want to go back to nursing school," I said firmly. "I dropped out when my mom got sick. I want to finish my degree."
Luca reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy, black titanium card. He handed it to me.
"Full tuition. Paid in advance. Anywhere you want to go," he said.
I took the card. "Thank you, Luca."
He nodded, turning to walk back toward the dining room. But then he stopped.
"Hannah," he said, turning back. "Before Catherine died... she left one last thing. Not for me. Not for Thomas. For Sophie."
"What is it?"
May you like
"A letter. To be opened on her tenth birthday." Luca looked at the floor. "Her birthday is in December. But after everything that happened today... I think it’s time."
TITLE: The Letter For Sophie
