Chapter 8 - THE GRANDFATHER'S REVENGE
Don DeLuca stepped out of the shadows, his tailored suit immaculate, completely unaffected by the chaos that had consumed the estate tonight.
He aimed the silenced pistol directly at Elena’s chest.
"Quietly, now," DeLuca whispered, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Don't wake the boy."
My mind spun in terror.
Answer one: Leo was Dominic's biological son, the true heir to the Marino empire.
Open two: How did Sabrina end up with Dominic's child, and why was her father here to kill Elena?
"You," Elena breathed, paralyzed with fear. "You ordered the hit on my car three years ago."
"Guilty," DeLuca nodded smoothly. "You see, my foolish daughter Sabrina was desperate. She was barren, unable to give Dominic an heir. She knew Dominic’s father would force them to break off the engagement if she couldn't produce a child."
DeLuca walked closer, his eyes locking onto the sleeping boy.
"So, she paid a surrogate," DeLuca continued. "Using Dominic's stolen genetic material. But Sabrina couldn't handle the guilt. When the boy was born, she panicked. She gave him to you, Elena, begging you to raise him in secret."
The horrifying puzzle pieces finally clicked together.
"When I found out Sabrina gave away the true Marino heir, I was furious," DeLuca growled. "I needed that boy to secure the merger between our families. I ordered Frankie to kill you before you could legally adopt him. I planned to swoop in, 'rescue' the orphaned boy, and force Dominic to marry Sabrina out of gratitude."
"But you killed my father instead," Elena wept.
"A regrettable miscalculation," DeLuca sighed. "But tonight, I correct the error. Vitiello is in cuffs. Sabrina is dead. The board is in chaos. When I walk out of here with my grandson, I will control the Marino empire."
He pointed the gun at me. "Step away from the bed, waitress."
I didn't move. I planted my feet firmly between the mob boss and the sleeping six-year-old.
"You're not taking him," I said, my voice trembling but defiant.
DeLuca laughed. "You're brave, Claire. Stupid, but brave. Do you really think you can stop me?"
He pulled back the hammer of the pistol.
"I don't have to," I said.
I reached into my apron pocket and hit the button on my phone.
The heavy oak door of the master suite exploded inward in a shower of splinters and broken hinges.
Dominic tore into the room like a force of nature.
He hadn't gone to the bank. The gold key was a bluff to flush out the remaining conspirator. I had kept my phone on an open call with him in my pocket the entire time.
DeLuca whipped his gun toward Dominic, but he was too slow.
Dominic lunged across the room, tackling the older man to the floor. The silenced pistol skittered across the hardwood, sliding under the heavy oak dresser.
DeLuca fought viciously, punching Dominic in the jaw, but Dominic was fueled by a rage three years in the making.
Dominic grabbed DeLuca by the collar and slammed him against the wall, pinning him with a forearm across his throat.
"You murdered my father," Dominic roared, his eyes blazing with a murderous fire. "You corrupted my men. You threatened my son."
DeLuca gasped for air, his face turning purple, but a cruel smile still twisted his lips.
"Kill me, Dominic," DeLuca choked out. "Do it. Pull the trigger. Become exactly what the police think you are. You'll spend the rest of your life in federal prison, and the boy will end up in the system anyway."
Dominic froze. His hand hovered over the pistol at his waistband.
DeLuca was right. If Dominic murdered an unarmed man in his own bedroom, Detective Miller couldn't cover it up. The feds were already swarming the estate.
"He's baiting you, Dominic!" Elena screamed. "Don't do it!"
Dominic’s jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter. He stared into the eyes of the man who had destroyed his family.
Slowly, Dominic released DeLuca's throat.
He stepped back, breathing heavily.
"I'm not a butcher like you," Dominic said coldly.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black audio recorder.
"But I am a businessman," Dominic said, pressing the stop button. "And you just confessed to murder, kidnapping, and extortion on a digital wire."
DeLuca’s arrogant smile vanished instantly. The color drained from his face as he realized he had been played perfectly.
Two federal agents walked through the shattered doorway, their badges gleaming in the dim light.
"Arthur DeLuca," the lead agent said, pulling out a pair of steel handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent. I highly suggest you use it."
As they dragged the protesting mob boss out of the room, Dominic turned to us.
May you like
He looked at Elena, and then, slowly, he walked over to the bed where Leo was just beginning to stir.
Dominic knelt down, his eyes filling with tears as he looked at his biological son for the first time with the truth fully known.
