Chapter 7 - TakenDaniel moved faster than the gunman expected.
“She needs another hour.”
“No.”
“Mr. DeLuca, you cannot intimidate anesthesia.”
“I’m not intimidating anesthesia.”
“You’re standing beside her bed like you intend to shoot it.”
Emily opened one eye.
A gray-haired surgeon stood with his arms crossed.
Luca stood opposite him.
His shirt was rolled to the elbows.
Blood still stained one cuff.
She whispered, “He probably would.”
Both men turned.
Luca reached her first.
“You’re awake.”
“Unfortunately.”
The surgeon smiled.
“That’s a good sign.”
Emily tried to move.
Pain stabbed her side.
She gasped.
Luca’s hand immediately pressed her shoulder gently into the mattress.
“Don’t.”
“What happened?”
“Bullet grazed your ribs. No organ damage.”
“Daniel?”
“Downstairs eating every snack in the vending machine.”
She closed her eyes in relief.
The surgeon checked her monitors.
“You were lucky.”
Emily looked at Luca.
“No.”
She remembered pushing him.
“I was stupid.”
Luca’s expression darkened.
“You saved my life.”
“See? Stupid.”
The doctor hid a smile.
“I’ll return later.”
He left.
Emily studied Luca.
“You look terrible.”
“I’ve had worse reviews.”
“Did you sleep?”
“No.”
“How long was I out?”
“Seven hours.”
“You stayed?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Luca stared at her as though the answer annoyed him.
“Because you were shot.”
“People get shot around you often.”
“Not people I…”
He stopped.
Emily waited.
“People you what?”
His jaw tightened.
“Nothing.”
She smiled weakly.
“Terrifying mafia boss afraid of nouns.”
“I’m not afraid of nouns.”
“Then finish the sentence.”
“No.”
Emily laughed.
It hurt.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“You started it.”
Silence settled between them.
Then Emily noticed his hands.
Blood remained beneath one fingernail.
Her blood.
“You didn’t clean up.”
Luca looked down.
“I didn’t notice.”
Emily reached toward him.
Her fingers touched the scar across his knuckles.
He became very still.
“You can wash it off.”
“I know.”
“But?”
Luca looked at her.
“I needed to remember.”
“Remember what?”
“How close it came.”
Emily’s smile disappeared.
“You couldn’t have stopped the bullet.”
“I should have.”
“You were protecting Daniel.”
“I should have protected both of you.”
“You’re not responsible for everything.”
Luca gave her a look.
She realized she had repeated Daniel’s words.
“Apparently that’s going around.”
His thumb brushed gently over her wrist.
Emily didn’t flinch.
She noticed.
So did Luca.
Neither mentioned it.
The door opened.
Daniel rushed in.
“Em!”
He nearly hugged her, then stopped when he saw the bandages.
“I’m okay.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“You got shot.”
“Technically grazed.”
“That counts!”
“Fine. I was slightly shot.”
Daniel laughed and cried simultaneously.
He took her hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“You pushed Luca because they were trying to take me.”
“I’d do it again.”
Luca interrupted.
“No, you wouldn’t.”
Emily raised an eyebrow.
He folded his arms.
“You will never do that again.”
“You planning to control bullets now?”
“If necessary.”
Daniel looked between them.
“Oh.”
Emily frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Daniel.”
He grinned.
“I’m going to find coffee.”
“You just got here.”
“I suddenly feel like I’m interrupting.”
He left.
Emily stared after him.
“Little traitor.”
Luca’s phone vibrated.
His expression changed.
“What?”
“Marco found something.”
“Moretti?”
“Possibly.”
He answered.
Emily heard only Luca’s side.
“When?”
Pause.
“Who confirmed?”
Longer pause.
“Don’t move until I arrive.”
He ended the call.
“You’re leaving.”
“Yes.”
Emily tried to sit up.
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“You’re going to ask to come.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Luca.”
“You have stitches.”
“So?”
“So you were shot seven hours ago.”
“Slightly shot.”
He gave her a look.
Emily sighed.
“What did Marco find?”
“A property in Connecticut registered to one of Victor Moretti’s old companies.”
“You think Vincent is there?”
“Someone is.”
“How do you know?”
“Anthony talked.”
Emily blinked.
“He told you?”
“After Boston.”
“Why?”
“Because Vincent ordered the station attack without warning him. Anthony realized he was disposable.”
“Convenient.”
“Yes.”
“Do you trust him?”
“No.”
“Then maybe it’s a trap.”
“I know.”
“And you’re going anyway.”
“Yes.”
She stared at him.
“You really are impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.”
Luca moved toward the door.
Emily called, “Wait.”
He turned.
“Come back.”
The words escaped before she considered them.
Something changed in Luca’s face.
Emily suddenly felt exposed.
“I mean… Daniel needs you.”
“Daniel?”
“And your people.”
“Of course.”
“And there’s the archive.”
“Yes.”
“Lots of reasons.”
Luca walked back to the bed.
He leaned down.
For one suspended second, Emily thought he would kiss her.
Instead, he touched his forehead gently to hers.
“I’ll come back.”
Then he left.
Emily lay motionless.
Her heart was doing ridiculous things.
Two hours away, the Connecticut property looked abandoned.
Luca studied it from the forest line.
Marco crouched beside him.
“Three vehicles.”
“Thermal?”
“Six inside.”
“Anthony says Moretti?”
“Anthony says Moretti used it as a safe house.”
Luca checked his weapon.
“Where is Anthony?”
“In the car.”
“Bring him.”
Marco frowned.
“You sure?”
“If it’s a trap, he walks first.”
Anthony was brought forward with his hands restrained.
“Charming.”
Luca looked at the house.
“Is Vincent inside?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said this was his safe house.”
“It was.”
“Was?”
“Luca, Vincent doesn’t tell me everything.”
Luca faced him.
“He convinced you to betray your family.”
Anthony’s expression tightened.
“He told me you stole what should’ve been ours.”
“What?”
“The organization.”
Luca laughed once.
“You wanted this?”
“You inherited everything.”
“I inherited a funeral and six men trying to kill me.”
“Our fathers built it together.”
“My father built it. Yours sold him out.”
Anthony looked away.
Luca stepped closer.
“Did you know Peter ordered his murder?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I didn’t know.”
For the first time, Luca believed him.
Anthony’s voice cracked.
“My father told me Frank was weak. He said the organization needed someone stronger. I thought it was politics.”
“It was murder.”
“I know that now.”
Luca stared at him.
Then one of the house windows exploded.
Gunfire ripped through the trees.
Everyone dropped.
Marco shouted.
“Ambush!”
Luca dragged Anthony behind an SUV.
Three gunmen emerged from the house.
DeLuca’s men returned fire.
Anthony spotted a weapon beneath a fallen guard.
He reached for it.
Luca pointed his gun at him.
Anthony froze.
“Don’t.”
“I can help.”
“You’ve helped enough.”
Another gunman appeared behind Luca.
Anthony saw him.
Without hesitation, Anthony shoved Luca aside.
The bullet struck Anthony in the chest.
Luca fired twice.
The gunman fell.
Anthony collapsed.
Luca caught him.
“Anthony.”
Blood filled his cousin’s mouth.
He laughed weakly.
“Guess we’re even.”
“We’re not.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Stay awake.”
Anthony grabbed Luca’s sleeve.
“Vincent’s not here.”
“I know.”
“He wanted you away from New York.”
Luca froze.
“What?”
Anthony coughed.
“He kept asking about Emily.”
Luca’s blood turned cold.
“Why?”
“Because Carter knew more than the ledger.”
“What does that mean?”
Anthony struggled for breath.
“Emily’s father… recorded Victor.”
“Recorded what?”
“Everything.”
Luca grabbed his phone.
No signal.
Jammer.
He looked toward Marco.
“Get me out of here.”
They carried Anthony toward the vehicles.
Back in Manhattan, Emily awoke to the nurse changing her IV.
Daniel slept in the chair.
Her phone buzzed.
A text.
Unknown number.
A photograph loaded.
It showed Luca kneeling beside a bleeding Anthony.
Beneath it:
HE CHOSE REVENGE OVER YOU.
Then another message arrived.
Ask yourself why I needed Luca out of the city.
Emily stared at the screen.
A soft click came from the hospital room door.
The nurse turned.
A man in surgical scrubs entered.
Emily didn’t recognize him.
He reached behind his back.
Her heart stopped.
“Daniel.”
Her brother woke.
The fake surgeon pulled a gun.
May you like
Emily ripped the IV from her arm.
“RUN!”
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