Chapter 18 - The Red Door
Bellandi Lodge sat beside a frozen lake.
The red door was visible from the road.
Too visible.
“It’s a trap,” I whispered.
Alessandro nodded.
“Of course it is.”
Enzo’s team spread through the woods.
Sofia stayed in the vehicle.
I was supposed to stay with her.
I lasted two minutes.
“Mara.”
“I know.”
Sofia caught my hand.
“You always were impossible.”
“You taught me.”
I slipped out.
The lodge was dark.
Alessandro entered through the rear.
Enzo took the basement.
I circled toward the side.
Then I heard a child crying.
Not loudly.
Leo.
I followed the sound to a detached boathouse.
The padlock was open.
Inside, Leo sat tied to a wooden chair.
A man stood behind him.
Julian.
I stopped.
He smiled.
“I wondered when the hero would arrive.”
My stomach turned.
“You started the restaurant fire.”
“Yes.”
“You sabotaged Chloe’s tray.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Vittorio wanted an accident.”
“A grieving father makes mistakes.”
“Leo was six.”
Julian shrugged.
“Empires are rarely inherited peacefully.”
I wanted to hit him.
Instead, I looked at Leo.
“Hey.”
His lip trembled.
“Mara.”
“You still have that dinosaur bite?”
He understood.
His eyes dropped toward Julian’s left side.
Gun.
Tucked beneath jacket.
I kept talking.
“Remember when you said Rex bites bad dreams?”
Leo nodded.
“Close your eyes.”
Julian frowned.
“What are you—”
I grabbed an oar leaning against the wall and swung.
It hit his wrist.
The gun flew.
Julian lunged.
I ducked.
Pain tore through my stitches.
He caught my hair.
Then a gunshot split the boathouse.
Julian dropped.
Alessandro stood in the doorway.
His face was pure death.
He crossed directly to Leo.
Untied him.
Pulled him into his arms.
“Papa.”
“I have you.”
Leo sobbed into his neck.
Alessandro closed his eyes.
I had never seen a man hold anything with such desperation.
Then slow applause came from outside.
Adrian Bellandi entered.
Three armed men surrounded him.
He was younger than Alessandro.
Handsome.
Elegant.
Smiling.
“Beautiful.”
Alessandro shifted Leo behind him.
Adrian raised his weapon.
“I always hated family reunions.”
Enzo appeared behind the armed men.
So did six of Alessandro’s guards.
Standoff.
Adrian smiled.
“You think this ends with me?”
“No,” Alessandro said.
“It ends with Vittorio.”
Adrian’s smile sharpened.
“Then you should hurry.”
“He’s at your house.”
My heart stopped.
The tracker.
May you like
Rex.
We had led them straight to Sofia.
