Chapter 9 - FIVE MONTHS WITHOUT HIMAdrian Moretti did not come home that night.
Gunfire echoed through the warehouse.
Adrian grabbed Sofia’s chair and dragged it sideways.
Nico’s men fired at Dominic’s.
For several seconds, nobody knew who was shooting whom.
That confusion saved them.
Adrian cut Sofia’s restraints with a shard of broken metal.
“Stay low.”
“Where’s Elena?”
“Safe.”
“I’m not leaving without her.”
“She said the same thing about you.”
Even terrified, Sofia almost smiled.
Across the warehouse, Elena crawled toward them.
Then she saw Nico.
He was moving behind Adrian.
Weapon raised.
“Adrian!”
He turned.
Elena grabbed the nearest object—a metal flashlight—and threw it.
It hit Nico’s shoulder.
His shot went wide.
Adrian tackled him.
The gun skidded across the floor.
The two men fought violently.
Nico landed a punch.
Adrian slammed him into a crate.
Dominic, bleeding from the arm, crawled toward the fallen weapon.
Elena saw him.
“Luca!”
Luca emerged from behind a pillar and kicked the gun away.
Dominic looked up.
For the first time, fear appeared on his face.
Sirens approached.
Nico heard them too.
“You called the feds?”
Adrian held him down.
“Yes.”
“You hypocrite.”
“No.”
Adrian breathed heavily.
“I finally stopped being one.”
Nico laughed.
“You think this makes you good?”
“No.”
The answer surprised him.
Adrian tightened his grip.
“It makes me responsible.”
Federal agents stormed the warehouse.
Weapons lowered.
Commands shouted.
One by one, the surviving men surrendered.
Dominic tried to run.
He made it six feet.
Agents tackled him.
Elena rushed toward Sofia.
Her mother wrapped both arms around her.
They held each other.
Neither spoke.
They didn’t need to.
Adrian stood several yards away.
Rain blew through the open loading doors.
Blood marked his lower lip.
His suit was torn.
For once, he didn’t look like a billionaire.
Or a crime boss.
Just a tired man watching a daughter get her mother back.
Sofia eventually looked at him.
Recognition spread across her face.
“Adrian.”
He stiffened.
“Mrs. Marino.”
“You got old.”
Elena stared at her mother.
Adrian almost laughed.
“So did you.”
Sofia released Elena.
Then walked toward Adrian.
He lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry about Gabriel.”
Sofia studied him.
“I know.”
“You should hate me.”
“I did.”
Elena held her breath.
Sofia continued.
“For years.”
Adrian nodded.
“I understand.”
“Then I learned what Dominic had done.”
Her voice softened.
“Gabriel left letters.”
Adrian looked up.
“More than one?”
“He wrote to me too.”
Sofia touched Adrian’s cheek as if he were still the reckless twenty-one-year-old she remembered.
“He asked me not to blame you.”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Sofia dropped her hand.
“So I stopped.”
Elena watched something inside him break.
Not violently.
Quietly.
Adrian wiped his face.
Then turned away.
The federal case exploded across national news three days later.
Victor Salerno was arrested in New Jersey.
Nico Salerno faced charges connected to multiple murders.
Dominic Moretti was denied bail.
Several officials resigned.
More arrests followed.
And then came Adrian’s turn.
He voluntarily entered the federal courthouse with three attorneys.
Elena waited outside.
“You don’t have to go in,” she said.
“Yes, I do.”
“They might charge you.”
“They probably will.”
“You saved us.”
“That doesn’t erase twenty years.”
She hated his calmness.
“What happens next?”
“I cooperate.”
“And then?”
“We find out.”
He started walking.
Elena called his name.
He turned.
For a second she couldn’t find the right words.
Then she said the wrong ones again.
“Come home, husband.”
Silence.
Adrian stared.
Elena’s eyes widened.
“Oh, no.”
For the first time in days, he laughed.
Actually laughed.
Federal agents near the door turned.
Elena covered her face.
“I cannot believe I did that again.”
Adrian walked back.
“You really need to work on this.”
“Go get arrested.”
“That’s unnecessarily hostile.”
“I quit, remember?”
“You quit four times.”
“Five.”
He smiled.
Then became serious.
“Elena.”
She lowered her hands.
“I may not come home tonight.”
Her humor disappeared.
“I know.”
“Or for a while.”
“I know.”
She stepped closer.
“You still need to come back eventually.”
Adrian looked at her.
“Why?”
Elena could have lied.
Instead she said, “Because I’m asking you to.”
Something changed in his eyes.
He nodded.
May you like
“Then I’ll do my best.”
And entered the courthouse.
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