Chapter 8 - The Price of a SisterAleksandr Volkov did not want money.
Claire refused to stay behind.
They argued for twelve minutes.
“No.”
“Dante—”
“No.”
“Luca specifically asked for me.”
“That is precisely why you’re not coming.”
“He’ll know something is wrong.”
“I don’t care.”
“Your father might die.”
Dante stared at her.
“He may have killed Ethan.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know enough.”
Claire lowered her voice.
“If you leave me here, I’ll follow.”
“You don’t know where we’re going.”
“I’ll ask Marco.”
Marco, standing near the doorway, suddenly found the ceiling fascinating.
Dante looked at him.
“You would not.”
Marco said carefully, “I value continued employment.”
Claire crossed her arms.
“I’m going.”
“You were nearly killed forty-eight hours ago.”
“And Luca has spent eleven months thinking I’m harmless.”
Dante paused.
Claire saw it.
The moment he understood.
She continued.
“That’s useful.”
“You’re not bait.”
“I’m not asking to be bait.”
“What are you asking?”
“To finish what Ethan started.”
Dante looked at her for a long time.
Finally:
“You stay behind me.”
“Fine.”
“You do exactly what I say.”
“Within reason.”
“Claire.”
“Fine.”
“And you wear a vest.”
She looked down at her injuries.
“That sounds uncomfortable.”
“That wasn’t a question.”
Two hours later, they entered the Moretti estate.
Dante and Claire walked through the front doors alone.
At least that was what Luca believed.
Marco’s teams surrounded the property beyond the cameras.
Claire wore a microphone beneath her sweater.
Dante carried the flash drive.
The mansion felt different.
Empty.
Too quiet.
They entered the dining room.
Luca stood beside the fireplace.
Vittorio sat in a chair.
His hands were tied.
Stefano stood near him.
Claire stopped.
“Uncle and nephew.”
Stefano smiled.
“You’re smarter than you look.”
Claire replied, “You’re exactly as disappointing as you look.”
Dante almost turned toward her.
Wrong moment.
But impressive.
Luca lifted his weapon.
“Give me the drive.”
“Release Dad.”
“No.”
“Then no drive.”
Luca’s smile disappeared.
“Still trying to control everything.”
Dante stepped forward.
“I spent twenty years cleaning up your mistakes.”
“There it is.”
Luca laughed.
“Dante the perfect son. Dante the brilliant heir. Dante the one everyone feared.”
His voice sharpened.
“Do you know what it’s like growing up behind you?”
Dante’s expression remained cold.
“No. I was busy protecting you.”
“I never asked.”
“You never had to.”
Stefano interrupted.
“Enough.”
Luca glanced at him.
That brief look told Claire something.
Luca wasn’t completely in control.
She moved closer to Dante.
Stefano extended a hand.
“The drive.”
Dante held it up.
“First tell me who killed Ethan Bennett.”
Stefano’s eyes moved toward Claire.
“An unfortunate necessity.”
Claire’s stomach dropped.
“You?”
Stefano smiled.
“He was curious.”
Dante’s voice became deadly.
“You killed him.”
“I authorized it.”
Claire took one step forward.
Dante caught her wrist.
She was trembling.
“Why?”
Stefano shrugged.
“Because he photographed Vittorio.”
Vittorio shouted, “Tell her the rest.”
Stefano looked at him.
“Quiet.”
Claire stared at Vittorio.
“What rest?”
Vittorio’s voice was rough.
“I was meeting Volkov because I was trying to expose Stefano.”
Dante frowned.
“What?”
“I knew someone was moving weapons through our ports.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“Because I didn’t know who around you was compromised.”
Luca laughed.
“Everyone lies to you, brother.”
Dante ignored him.
Vittorio looked at Claire.
“Ethan saw me and misunderstood. I tried to find him afterward to explain.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Because he died.”
Vittorio closed his eyes.
“I failed him.”
Stefano raised his gun toward Vittorio.
“I said quiet.”
Claire suddenly understood.
“Luca didn’t kill Ethan.”
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed at Stefano.
“You did.”
“Yes.”
“But Luca attacked me.”
Luca smiled.
“Now you’re following.”
Claire continued.
“Which means you’re not partners.”
Stefano’s expression shifted.
Dante caught on.
“Luca works for you.”
Luca snapped, “I work with him.”
Stefano laughed.
That laughter said everything.
Luca turned.
“You said we were partners.”
“Of course I did.”
“Stefano.”
“You were useful.”
Luca’s face changed.
Years of resentment collided with sudden humiliation.
Stefano continued.
“Do you think Volkov wanted you running anything? You’re a spoiled child with expensive habits.”
Luca raised his weapon toward Stefano.
Chaos followed.
Vittorio threw himself sideways.
Dante shoved Claire behind a marble pillar.
Stefano fired.
Luca fired back.
A chandelier shattered.
Marco’s team breached the house.
Gunfire erupted through the hallway.
Claire covered her head.
Dante stayed over her, shielding her body.
Then someone shouted.
Silence followed in pieces.
Stefano lay wounded near the fireplace.
Luca had disappeared.
Vittorio was alive.
Marco rushed toward them.
“North exit! Luca ran.”
Dante stood.
“Get Claire out.”
“No.”
Dante looked at her.
“Do not argue.”
This time she didn’t.
Because blood was spreading beneath Vittorio’s shirt.
Claire rushed toward him.
“Call the medic!”
Dante hesitated.
His brother was escaping.
His father was dying.
Claire looked at him.
“Go.”
Dante stared.
“Go get Luca.”
“You stay here.”
“I will.”
Dante ran.
Outside, rain had begun falling.
Luca sprinted toward the lower gardens.
Dante caught him near the fountain.
“Stop!”
Luca turned with a gun.
Brothers faced each other beneath the storm.
“You always win,” Luca said.
“This isn’t winning.”
“You get the company. Dad’s respect. Everyone’s loyalty.”
Dante stepped closer.
“You had all of that too.”
“No.”
“You had me.”
Luca laughed bitterly.
“I never wanted you.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
Dante’s voice broke slightly.
“Because I loved you.”
For the first time, Luca’s expression faltered.
“You chose her.”
“I chose someone you tried to murder.”
“She’s nobody.”
Dante’s eyes hardened.
“She risked her life to expose what we were too blind to see.”
Luca lifted the gun.
“You love her?”
Dante didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
Luca smiled.
“Then losing her will destroy you.”
He fired.
Dante moved.
The shot missed.
Dante tackled him.
They crashed onto wet stone.
The weapon slid away.
Years of resentment became fists, anger, and grief.
Finally Dante pinned his brother.
Luca laughed beneath him.
“Do it.”
Dante stared down.
“Kill me.”
For several seconds, Dante wanted to.
Then he stood.
“No.”
Luca blinked.
“You don’t get an easy ending.”
Police sirens approached.
“You’re going to live long enough to answer for every person you hurt.”
Luca’s smile vanished.
Marco’s men arrived and restrained him.
Dante returned to the mansion.
Vittorio was being loaded into an ambulance.
Claire stood nearby.
The moment she saw Dante, relief crossed her face.
He walked to her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Then Claire saw his knuckles.
“You?”
“Fine.”
“That means no.”
Dante looked toward the ambulance.
“My father?”
“Alive.”
He closed his eyes briefly.
Claire touched his face.
“You did it.”
“No.”
“This isn’t over.”
She looked toward Stefano being carried out under guard.
“Maybe not.”
Then Marco approached.
“Boss.”
Dante turned.
“We searched Stefano.”
He held up a phone.
“There’s a message from Isabella.”
Dante took it.
May you like
Only six words.
Sofia is gone. Volkov has her.
Related Stories
