Chapter 4 - THE RED BRACELET
The room exploded into motion.
The scarred bodyguard didn’t hesitate. He pulled his weapon, but he didn’t aim at Dominic.
He aimed directly up the stairs at nine-year-old Mia.
“No!” Dominic roared, lunging forward with a speed that defied his size.
But I was closer to the stairs.
I didn’t think. I just reacted. I threw myself up the first four marble steps, tackling Mia to the carpeted landing just as the deafening CRACK of a gunshot shattered the penthouse.
A marble vase directly behind where Mia had been standing exploded into dust.
Anthony drew his own weapon, firing twice.
The scarred bodyguard grunted, hit in the shoulder, and spun backward. He crashed through the heavy oak doors leading to the private elevator hallway, the glass shattering around him.
“Lock the doors! Secure the perimeter!” Anthony shouted, kicking the broken doors shut and dragging a heavy credenza in front of them.
The dinner guests were screaming, diving under the table.
Dominic rushed up the stairs, sliding to his knees beside me. He frantically checked Mia for blood.
“I’m okay, Daddy,” she whimpered, clinging to my neck.
Dominic let out a shuddering breath, wrapping his arms around both of us. For a split second, the terrifying mob boss disappeared, leaving only a desperate father.
“Thank you, Claire,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I owe you my life.”
He stood up, his face hardening back into stone.
“Get her to the safe room,” Dominic ordered his remaining loyal men. “Now.”
Two guards escorted Mia away.
I slowly stood up, brushing plaster dust off my black uniform. My knees were shaking so badly I could barely stand.
Down below, paramedics finally burst through the service elevator, rushing to Silvio with a stretcher.
“He has a pulse,” one of the medics shouted, loading the old man onto the gurney. “But we need to move him now!”
As they rushed Silvio out, Dominic walked slowly back into the dining room.
The guests were frozen in terror. Celeste was curled into a ball on the floor, weeping.
Dominic looked at Anthony. “My own men, Ant. They infiltrated my own security.”
“The scarred man works for Salerno,” Anthony said, breathing heavily. “It’s a coup, Dom. Salerno is trying to take the city tonight.”
“No,” I said.
The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
Dominic and Anthony both looked at me.
“Claire, this isn’t the time,” Anthony warned gently.
“It’s not Salerno,” I insisted, walking down the stairs, stepping over the shattered marble.
I looked at Celeste.
“Mrs. Varga,” I said. “Who told you to put the envelope under the plate?”
“I told you, I don’t know!” she sobbed. “A voice on a phone!”
“When did they call you?”
“Two hours before dinner!”
I looked at Dominic.
“Two hours before dinner, Victor Salerno was being interviewed live on Channel 9 News about his new casino project. I watched it in the staff breakroom.”
Dominic frowned. “He could have made the call earlier, or had someone else do it.”
“He could,” I agreed. “But if Salerno wanted to kill you or Silvio, why use an envelope to frame Anthony? Why not just have the scarred guard shoot you in the back of the head during dinner?”
The logic hung in the air.
“She’s right,” Anthony muttered. “The envelope was meant to cause chaos. To tear us apart from the inside. To make you doubt me, Dom.”
“Salerno doesn’t operate like that,” Dominic realized, his eyes narrowing. “Salerno is a butcher. He uses car bombs, not theater.”
I walked over to where the scarred guard had been standing before he ran.
On the floor, amidst the shattered glass of the door, was a heavy, silver bracelet.
It had been torn from someone’s wrist during the struggle.
I picked it up.
It was a thick, braided silver cuff, inlaid with deep red rubies.
I remembered seeing this bracelet before. Not tonight, but earlier this afternoon, during the party prep.
“Mr. Romano,” I said, holding up the jewelry. “Do you recognize this?”
Dominic stared at it. All the blood drained from his face.
“That’s impossible,” Dominic whispered.
“Who does it belong to?” Anthony asked.
Dominic looked at his brother, his eyes wide with a horrified realization.
“It belongs to our sister. Rosa.”
Anthony stepped back. “Rosa? Dom, Rosa has been in Europe for six months. She’s not even in the country.”
“Yes, she is,” I said softly.
I looked toward the dark hallway leading to the guest suites.
May you like
“Because I cleaned Room 4 this morning,” I said. “And I saw that exact bracelet sitting on the vanity.”
Dominic didn’t say a word. He pulled his gun, bypassing the dining table, and walked straight toward the guest wing.
