THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME STRUGGLE TO WHEEL HIS FIANCÉE’S $40,000 WEDDING GOWN INTO THE DINING ROOM—THEN SHE SAID, “SHE FELL AT THE FRONT GATE,” BEFORE HE EVEN ASKED WHY MY STOCKING WAS COVERED IN BLOOD. Four more steps.

Lucy’s scream tore through the small house, waking her mother, who jolted upright on the sofa, completely disoriented.

"Lucy? What is it? What’s wrong?" her mother cried, looking wildly around the room.

Lucy couldn't speak. She was on the floor of the bedroom, clutching the superhero sheets, hyperventilating.

Luca didn't waste a single second. He holstered his weapon, strode into the bedroom, and hauled Lucy to her feet. He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Breathe," he ordered, his voice an anchor in the chaotic storm of her panic. "Breathe, Lucy. Panic will get him killed."

She gasped for air, tears streaming down her face. "They took him, Luca. They have my baby."

Luca turned to Lucy’s mother. "Ma'am. How long were you asleep?"

The older woman looked terrified, clutching her knitting. "I... I don't know. Maybe an hour? I put Leo to bed at eight. I just dozed off."

One hour.

They had a one-hour head start.

"We're leaving," Luca said, pulling Lucy toward the front door. "Ma'am, pack a bag. Daniel is sending a car for you. You are going to a safe house. Do not speak to anyone until my men arrive."

He half-carried Lucy back to the SUV, her injured leg completely giving out from shock and exhaustion. He strapped her into the passenger seat and tore out of the neighborhood.

"Where are we going?" Lucy sobbed, staring blankly at the dark streets.

"To Vincenzo Morano," Luca said coldly.

Lucy’s head snapped toward him. "Are you crazy? He’s the one who ordered this! He’ll kill us both!"

"Vincenzo didn't order this," Luca said, gripping the steering wheel. "Vincenzo is old-school. He would have sent a dozen cars and an emissary to collect his grandson. He wouldn't sneak a kid out the back door while a grandmother slept. This was a snatch-and-grab."

Reversal.

"Then who took him?"

"Someone who wants to use him as leverage against Vincenzo," Luca reasoned. "Or someone who wants to make sure Vincenzo never finds out he has an heir."

Luca dialed Daniel on the secure line.

"Daniel. I need the location of Vincenzo Morano. Right now."

"Boss, he’s at the private hospital on Lake Shore Drive," Daniel replied, the frantic tapping of a keyboard echoing in the background. "He’s in the VIP suite on the top floor. Rumor is he’s got days left."

"Meet me in the lobby. Bring a team."

Ten minutes later, the armored Charger screeched to a halt outside the gleaming glass doors of the private hospital.

Luca and Lucy stepped out. Daniel was already waiting with four heavily armed Moretti guards.

"They won't let us up," Daniel warned, falling into step beside Luca as they strode into the brightly lit lobby. "The entire top floor is secured by Morano soldiers."

"Watch me," Luca said.

They bypassed the reception desk entirely, marching straight toward the private elevators. Two massive men in dark suits stepped in front of the doors, their hands hovering over their jackets.

"Restricted access," one of the men growled.

Luca didn't slow down. He didn't even blink.

"Tell Vincenzo that Luca Moretti is here. And tell him I know about Julian’s son."

The guard’s expression faltered. He tapped his earpiece, whispering furiously. A few seconds later, he stepped aside.

The elevator ride to the top floor was suffocating. Lucy stood behind Luca, shaking uncontrollably, her bloody maid’s uniform a stark contrast to the sterile, expensive chrome of the hospital.

The doors chimed open.

The entire hallway was lined with Morano soldiers. They stared at Luca with barely concealed hatred, but nobody moved.

At the end of the hall, the doors to the VIP suite were open.

Luca walked in.

The room smelled of antiseptic and decay. Lying in a massive hospital bed, hooked up to a dozen monitors, was Vincenzo Morano. The old boss looked frail, his skin pale and sunken, but his dark eyes were as sharp and ruthless as ever.

Sitting in a chair beside the bed was a man in his early thirties. He wore a sharp, tailored suit, and he looked incredibly bored.

Tony Morano. Julian’s older cousin.

"Luca Moretti," Vincenzo rasped, his voice weak but commanding. "You have considerable nerve walking in here tonight. What is this about my dead son?"

Luca stood at the foot of the bed. He looked at Vincenzo, then at Tony.

"Your grandson was kidnapped an hour ago from a house in the suburbs," Luca said flatly.

Vincenzo’s heart monitor spiked. The old man tried to sit up, his eyes widening. "My grandson? Julian had a son?"

"Yes," Luca said, gesturing to Lucy. "This is the mother. She hid the boy to protect him. But tonight, someone took him. And they left Julian’s locket on the bed to send a message."

Vincenzo’s chest heaved. He looked at Lucy, seeing the terror in her eyes, and then he looked at his nephew, Tony.

"Tony," Vincenzo wheezed. "Find the boy. Burn the city if you have to."

Tony didn't move.

He slowly stood up, brushing an invisible piece of lint off his expensive suit jacket.

"I don't think that’s necessary, Uncle," Tony said smoothly.

Vincenzo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, child-sized superhero sneaker.

Lucy screamed, lunging forward, but Luca caught her by the waist, holding her back.

"Tony," Vincenzo whispered, horror dawning in the old man's eyes. "What have you done?"

"What I had to do," Tony sighed, tossing the shoe onto the foot of the bed. "You’re dying, Uncle. The family is supposed to pass to me. But if you found out Julian left a bastard heir... you would have given it all to the kid. I couldn't let a five-year-old take my throne."

Reversal.

The kidnapping wasn't a hit against Vincenzo. It was an inside job to secure the succession.

"You took my boy?" Lucy screamed, fighting against Luca’s grip. "Where is he!?"

Tony smiled coldly at her. "He's safe. For now. He’s on a boat docked at Navy Pier. If Uncle Vincenzo signs the succession papers tonight, transferring total control of the family to me... the boy lives."

Tony looked at Luca. "And you, Moretti. You’re going to walk away. Let the Moranos handle their own business, or the kid takes a swim."

Luca stared at Tony.

Then, Luca did something nobody expected.

He reached into his own coat and pulled out a crumpled, bloody red silk gown.

The remains of Clara’s dress.

He tossed it onto the floor at Tony’s feet.

"You made one mistake, Tony," Luca said softly. "You hired Clara to infiltrate my family so you could take over my empire, too. You thought you were playing chess."