Chapter 5 - The Wrath of the Don
Within three hours, the grand estate had been scrubbed clean.
Industrial cleaners had erased every drop of blood from the Italian marble. The broken glass was cleared, the air deodorized, and the house restored to pristine perfection. But the memory of the afternoon hung thick in the air like a poisonous fog.
Upstairs, in the master wing, Sophie sat on the center of my California king bed.
She was wrapped in a plush, pink fleece blanket, clutching a freshly baked warm chocolate-chip cookie in both hands. Her tear-streaked face had been gently washed, and she was wearing clean, soft cotton pajamas covered in little cartoon bunnies.
Beside her sat Elena’s younger sister, Rosa. Rosa was twenty-six, with the same warm, gentle hazel eyes as my late wife. When Rosa had received my emergency call, she had dropped everything at her art studio in Manhattan and sped out to Long Island at a hundred miles an hour.
"Look, Sophie," Rosa said with a bright, comforting smile, pointing to a colorful picture book open on the duvet. "The bunny found the hidden garden. What do you think is inside?"
"Strawberries," Sophie whispered, chewing a tiny bite of her cookie. Then she paused, looking up nervously toward the bedroom door.
The moment she saw me step into the room, she dropped the cookie and held out both arms.
"Daddy!"
I crossed the room in two strides, sitting down on the edge of the mattress and pulling her small, fragile frame against my chest. She buried her face into my neck, her little hands gripping the collar of my clean black cashmere sweater.
"I'm here, baby," I whispered, rocking her gently. "Daddy’s here. You never have to eat on the floor again. You never have to sleep in the dark again. This entire house belongs to you. Every room, every chair, every single corner."
"Miss Vanessa said Mommy went to heaven because I was bad," Sophie sobbed, the poison that had been poured into her ears finally pouring out. "She said if I cried, you would leave me too."
A cold rage flared in my chest, but my voice remained as soft as velvet. "Your mommy loved you more than the stars in the sky. And I love you more than life itself. Vanessa was a very sick, bad person who told terrible lies. She is gone, Sophie. She will never, ever step foot inside this house again. The police took her away, and she is never coming back."
Sophie pulled back, wiping her wet nose with the sleeve of her pajamas. "Promise on the pinky?"
I extended my scarred, tattooed pinky finger. Her tiny, delicate finger hooked around mine.
"I promise on my life, princess."
Rosa stood up quietly, giving me a nod of deep respect and compassion. "I'll be in the kitchen making some chamomile tea, Lorenzo. Call me if she needs anything."
"Thank you, Rosa," I said sincerely. "For everything."
Rosa smiled softly. "She's Elena's daughter. She's family. There's nothing to thank me for."
When Rosa left, I stayed with Sophie for another hour, reading her favorite storybook three times until her heavy eyelids finally fluttered shut. Her tiny breathing evened out into the rhythmic, peaceful slumber of a child who finally felt safe. I tucked the duvet securely around her shoulders, kissed her forehead, and stepped out onto the landing.
Luca was waiting for me in the hallway, holding a secure satellite tablet.
"The Commission is gathering at Don Falcone’s private estate in the Hamptons," Luca reported in a low, grim voice. "They think Matteo successfully pulled off the hit. They’re holding a victory dinner right now to divide your shipping lanes and distribution routes."
I looked at my watch. It was 9:45 PM.
"How many men does Falcone have on site?"
"Thirty perimeter guards. But five of them are on our payroll, Boss. The front gate will be opened from the inside."
I looked back through the slightly ajar bedroom door, watching the rise and fall of Sophie’s chest as she slept peacefully.
"They tried to steal my daughter," I said, the words falling like lead weights. "They tried to turn my flesh and blood into a bargaining chip."
I turned to Luca, my cold gray eyes flashing with lethal intent.
May you like
"Mobilize the entire frontline crew. Every man with a rifle. Every heavy vehicle we possess. Tonight, the Falcone family ceases to exist."
***
