Chapter 13 - A Mother’s Answer
Valeria did not hesitate.
“You touch my son and I burn every business you own to the ground.”
Victor laughed. “There she is.”
“I’m not bringing you Maya. I’m not bringing you Noah. And I don’t care what you do to Gregory.”
“That isn’t how bargaining works.”
“It is when I don’t value what you’re selling.”
She hung up.
Maya stared at her. “What about the toxicology sample?”
“We’ll find another way.”
Luca said, “Gregory may be the only person who knows where it is.”
Valeria turned on him. “Then he should have thought about that before locking my child in a wall.”
Noah had been sent to a secure bedroom with two guards, but he was still listening from the hallway.
“Mom?”
Valeria softened immediately. “Baby, go back inside.”
“Is Dad bad?”
Valeria knelt.
“Your dad did bad things. Very bad things. None of them are because of you.”
“Does he love me?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I do.”
Noah nodded, trying to be brave.
Then he whispered, “He took Grandpa’s medicine box to the boat place.”
Valeria froze.
“What boat place?”
“The place with the red crane. We went there once. Dad said I couldn’t tell you.”
Luca knew immediately.
“Pier Nine.”
Victor controlled Pier Nine.
Tomas grabbed keys and weapons.
Valeria stopped him.
“We don’t storm it. Not yet.”
She called an assistant district attorney who owed Carlo a favor, then a federal contact who had spent years trying to dismantle Victor’s union rackets.
Luca stared at her. “You’re bringing law enforcement into Romano business?”
“I’m bringing daylight into Romano business.”
He looked almost offended.
“That could destroy the family.”
Valeria met his eyes.
“Good.”
Her phone buzzed.
A photograph appeared from Victor.
Gregory was tied to a chair inside a warehouse.
Behind him stood a steel medical case.
On the case was Carlo Romano’s name.
May you like
But beside Gregory, barely visible in the corner of the image, stood Dr. Serena Cole.
She was supposed to be downstairs in custody.
