Chapter 5 - THE WATCH ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR
The winter air bit through Maria’s thin uniform as she half-carried Leo down the dark service stairwell.
Behind them, the sounds of shouting and shattering wood echoed from the attic.
Maria pushed the heavy metal door open, stepping into the massive underground garage. The motion-sensor lights flickered on, revealing rows of luxury cars.
"Which one is the black SUV?" Leo whispered, holding tightly to her hand.
"That one," Maria pointed, her heart hammering against her ribs.
They sprinted toward it. Maria hit the unlock button on the fob.
Just as her hand grabbed the door handle, a massive figure stepped out from behind the vehicle.
It was Marco, Luca’s head of security. The man who was supposed to protect them.
"Going somewhere, Maria?" Marco sneered, drawing a heavy pistol from his jacket.
Maria shoved Leo behind her. "Marco, don't do this. Mr. Moretti will kill you."
"Luca is finished," Marco laughed. "The Bellini family runs Chicago now. Hand over the boy."
Maria’s eyes darted around the garage. She had a bad knee, no weapon, and a six-year-old to protect.
"I won't let you touch him," she said fiercely.
Marco raised the gun. "I wasn't asking."
Suddenly, a heavy gold watch hit the concrete floor between them, shattering its crystal face with a sharp crack.
Marco flinched, looking down.
It was Luca’s watch.
Before Marco could raise his gun again, Luca dropped from the maintenance catwalk above, landing squarely on Marco’s shoulders.
The giant security chief crumpled to the floor with a sickening thud. The gun skittered across the concrete.
Luca didn't hesitate. He grabbed the weapon, pointing it at the unconscious man.
He looked at Maria, his face covered in dust, a cut bleeding over his left eye. He was breathing heavily, looking more like a street brawler than a billionaire.
"Get in," Luca ordered, his voice raw.
They piled into the SUV. Luca hit the gas, smashing through the wooden security gates of the estate and tearing onto the dark highway.
"Daddy, you're bleeding," Leo cried from the backseat.
"I'm fine, buddy," Luca said, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. He glanced at Maria in the passenger seat. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Maria breathed, clutching the silver necklace. "But Luca... they know about the ticket. When Marco pulled his gun, he told me Vanessa already sent men to Union Station."
Luca slammed his fist against the steering wheel.
"If they get that box, we have no proof she killed my mother," Luca said. "And she'll use her family’s connections to frame me for everything."
Maria looked out the window. "Then we don't go to the station."
"We need the box, Maria."
"I know," she said, her eyes hardening. "But my mother is the only one who knows the PIN code for that locker. Vanessa's men can stare at it all night, but they can't open it without her."
Luca looked at her, realizing what she was saying.
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"We're going to the hospital," Maria said. "We have to get my mother out before Vanessa realizes the same thing."
TITLE: The Photograph of Betrayal
