Chapter 6 - The Boarding Pass in the Coat
Vanessa froze. The unhinged laughter died in her throat, replaced by a sharp, terrified gasp.
She slowly turned her head, looking up at Luca. The mafia boss looked like a demon stepped straight out of a nightmare. A deep cut above his eyebrow sent a slow trail of blood down his cheek, but his dark eyes were cold, calculated, and completely devoid of mercy.
“Luca,” Vanessa whispered, her voice trembling. “You’re alive.”
“To your profound disappointment,” Luca replied, his voice deadly quiet.
He stepped forward and kicked the boarding pass away from her. He kept his weapon leveled at her head while he looked down at me.
“Are you hurt, Emily?”
I was clutching my bruised throat, still struggling to catch my breath, but I shook my head. “I’m okay.”
“Get up,” he ordered gently. He didn't offer his hand, keeping both securely on his weapon.
I scrambled to my feet, clutching the silver pocket watch tightly. Beep. Beep. Beep. The green light pulsed against my palm, a relentless reminder of the ticking clock we were all racing against.
Luca glanced toward the stone bench where Rosa sat in the shadows. “Nonna? Are you unharmed?”
“I am fine, Luca,” the old woman replied firmly. “But the men inside?”
“Dealt with,” Luca said. The chilling finality in those two words made Vanessa whimper. “The Bellini loyalists were loud, but they were stupid. My security team breached the cellar doors and flanked them. The house is secure.”
He looked down at Vanessa, who was trembling violently on the ground.
“You bought a ticket to traffic a civilian out of the country,” Luca said, his voice dropping to a terrifying baritone. “You planned to lock an innocent woman in a basement to satisfy a fourteen-year-old grudge.”
“She isn't innocent!” Vanessa cried out, pointing a shaking finger at me. “Her father killed my father! Blood demands blood, Luca! That’s the rule of our world!”
“She is not part of our world,” Luca roared, the sudden volume making me flinch. “Her father died so she wouldn't have to be part of it! And you tried to drag her into the mud.”
Luca lowered his gun slightly, staring at his former fiancée with absolute disgust.
“Get up, Vanessa.”
She scrambled to her feet, clutching her torn red gown, looking like a cornered animal.
“Walk to the gatehouse,” Luca commanded. “Tell my guards to put you in the holding cell next to your brother. If you try to run, they have orders to shoot you in the legs.”
Vanessa looked at the dark path leading toward the front gates. She knew it was over. She swallowed hard, her arrogance entirely shattered, and stumbled away into the darkness, sobbing quietly.
When she was out of sight, Luca finally lowered his weapon completely. He let out a long, ragged exhale and leaned against the trunk of the weeping willow.
He looked exhausted. The invulnerable mafia boss suddenly looked like a man carrying the weight of the entire world.
I walked over to Rosa and gently checked her pulse. It was fast, but steady.
“We need to get her inside,” I told Luca quietly. “It’s freezing out here.”
Luca nodded. “The main floor is a wreck, but my private study on the third floor is secure. We’ll go there.”
He holstered his weapon and effortlessly scooped his grandmother into his arms. I led the way, holding the glowing silver watch, keeping my eyes peeled for any remaining threats.
We took the servant stairs back up, bypassing the destroyed dining room, and moved silently through the dark, opulent hallways of the mansion. The air smelled strongly of cordite and copper. Several bodies in dark suits lay motionless on the marble floors, a grim testament to the violence that had just occurred. I averted my eyes.
We reached the heavy oak doors of Luca’s third-floor study. He kicked the door open and set Rosa gently on a plush leather sofa near the fireplace.
He immediately locked the door behind us and closed the heavy blackout curtains. He turned on a single, dim desk lamp.
“Give me the watch, Emily,” Luca said, walking around his massive mahogany desk.
I handed it to him. He set it on the desk. The green light continued to pulse in the quiet room.
Luca pulled open a heavy bottom drawer and retrieved a first-aid kit. He tossed a clean towel to me.
“Wipe the dirt off your neck,” he instructed softly. “Her nails cut you.”
I did as he said, wincing at the sting.
Luca sat in his leather chair, staring at the watch. “The beacon is active. That means the signal is broadcasting.”
“To who?” Rosa asked from the sofa.
“The Syndicate Elders,” Luca replied, rubbing his temples. “When my grandfather created this key, he didn't just hide the location of his master vault. He rigged the key to notify the Five Elders the moment it was assembled.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because the assembly of the key means the current boss’s life is in jeopardy, or there is a dispute of succession,” Luca explained. “The Elders act as the supreme court of our world. If the key is activated, they are summoned to witness the opening of the vault and determine who has the right to lead.”
My stomach dropped. “So, they’re coming here? Tonight?”
Luca looked at his heavy gold wristwatch. “They will be here in less than an hour.”
“Then we have to hide the watch,” I said frantically, reaching for it. “If they find out you gave it to a maid, they might—”
“They already know,” Luca interrupted gently, catching my wrist before I could grab the silver timepiece. His hand was warm and surprisingly soft.
He looked into my eyes.
“The Elders know exactly who you are, Emily. They know your father’s name. They know what he did.”
I stared at him, confused. “If they know, why would Marco try to steal the key? Why wouldn't he just tell the Elders he wanted to challenge you?”
Rosa sighed heavily from the sofa. “Because, child, Marco isn't trying to prove he’s the rightful heir. Marco is trying to destroy the only piece of paper that proves he isn't.”
Luca nodded. He reached into his desk drawer again and pulled out a heavy, black steel handgun.
It wasn't his sleek, modern weapon. It was an older model, worn at the edges.
He checked the magazine, snapped it back into place, and clicked the safety off.
Then, he stood up, walked around the desk, and pressed the heavy gun into my hands.
I gasped, trying to pull away. “Mr. Moretti, I don't know how to shoot!”
“You point it, and you pull the trigger,” Luca said, his voice deadly serious, wrapping my fingers tightly around the grip.
“Why are you giving this to me?” I asked, my voice trembling in panic.
“Because when the Elders arrive, they won't come alone,” Luca said, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “Marco and Vanessa’s loyalists will know this is their last chance. They will try to breach this room before the Elders can read what is inside the vault.”
Luca stepped back, moving toward the heavy oak doors of the study.
“Lock the door behind me,” Luca commanded. “I am going downstairs to greet the Elders. Do not open this door for anyone. Not for the guards. Not for my grandmother’s doctors. No one.”
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He placed his hand on the brass doorknob.
“Emily,” Luca said, his voice softening just a fraction. “If I don't walk back through this door in ten minutes... you use that gun on anyone who isn't me.”
