Chapter 3 - Blood and LoyaltyAllessandro walked down the grand marble hallway toward his private study, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. He had survived street wars, federal indictments, and rival hitmen, but the thought of the woman he shared a bed with slipping slow poison into his morning routine filled him with a cold, terrifying rage.
He opened the heavy mahogany doors to his study. Inside, Emma was sitting on a leather sofa, kicking her tiny legs, while her mother, Maria, stood nervously beside her, clutching her apron.
Maria was thirty-two, a hardworking widow who had cleaned the Romano estate for five years. When Allessandro entered, she bowed her head immediately. "Mr. Romano... I am so sorry if Emma was disturbing you. She shouldn't have been in the main dining room—"
"Maria, stop," Allessandro said, holding up a hand. His voice softened as he looked at the frightened woman. "Your daughter didn't disturb me. She saved my life."
Maria gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "What?"
Allessandro walked over to his desk, pressed a concealed button underneath the oak trim, and pulled open a heavy iron safe built into the wall. He reached inside and pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills—at least fifty thousand dollars.
He walked back over and placed the stack directly into Maria’s trembling hands.
"Mr. Romano, I... I can't take this," Maria stammered, wide-eyed.
"You can, and you will," Allessandro said firmly. "Isabella tried to bribe your daughter to keep quiet about poisoning my food. Emma proved today that she has more honor and courage than half the men in my syndicate."
Emma looked up from her doll, her big brown eyes shining. "Are you mad at me, Mr. Allessandro?"
Allessandro knelt down until he was at eye level with the six-year-old girl. For the first time in months, a genuine, warm smile broke across his handsome, scarred face.
"No, little one," he said gently. "You are the bravest person in this house. But right now, it isn't safe here for you or your mama."
He stood up and looked at Maria. "My chief bodyguard, Marco, is waiting outside the back entrance. He’s going to take you both to a secure safehouse in the countryside. You’ll have guards around the clock. Once I clean up this mess, you and Emma will be taken care of for the rest of your lives. You'll never have to clean another floor again."
Tears trickled down Maria's cheeks as she pulled Emma close. "Thank you, Don Romano. God bless you."
"Go now. Quickly," Allessandro ordered.
As they left through the side door, Allessandro picked up his encrypted satellite phone and dialed his trusted enforcer, Matteo.
May you like
"Boss?" Matteo answered on the first ring.
"Get Dr. Vance to the estate right now with a chemical testing kit," Allessandro commanded, his voice dark and deadly. "And call up ten of our best soldiers. Tell them to surround the perimeter. Nobody enters or leaves this estate without my permission."
Related Stories
