Chapter 5 - The Price on Booth Seven
By sunrise, everything became bigger.
Federal investigators arrived.
Then attorneys.
Then people from agencies whose names I didn’t catch.
Peter’s father’s ledger was copied, photographed, documented, and carried away under armed escort.
Anthony Bellini disappeared before police could question him.
That was the bad news.
The worse news came at 8:17.
Leo was gone.
I walked into Peter’s kitchen expecting to find him eating pancakes with Rose.
His chair was empty.
“Leo?”
Rose looked up.
“He went to find his crayons.”
My stomach dropped.
“Where?”
“The hallway.”
I ran.
“Leo!”
Peter appeared from his office.
“What happened?”
“I can’t find him.”
His entire face changed.
“Lock the house.”
Alarms sounded.
Security doors closed.
Peter grabbed his radio.
“Find Leo. Now.”
Men moved everywhere.
I checked bedrooms.
Bathrooms.
Closets.
“Leo!”
Nothing.
Then Peter’s security chief ran toward us.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“East gate camera.”
He showed us the screen.
A delivery van.
A man in a maintenance uniform.
And Leo walking beside him.
My knees gave out.
Peter caught me.
“No.”
“Emma.”
“No, no, no.”
He held my shoulders.
“Look at me.”
“Get my son.”
“I will.”
“Peter—”
“I will.”
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
Peter answered.
“Bellini.”
Anthony’s voice came through the speaker.
“Bring me Sam and the original ledger.”
Peter looked at the federal agent.
The agent shook his head.
Peter said, “The ledger is gone.”
“Then bring me your father.”
Sam entered.
“I’ll go.”
Peter turned.
“No.”
“He wants me.”
“No.”
Sam walked closer.
“Peter.”
“I lost you once.”
Peter’s voice cracked.
“I’m not doing it again.”
The phone remained connected.
Bellini laughed.
“Touching.”
I grabbed Peter’s phone.
“You listen to me.”
Bellini went silent.
“You hurt my son and I swear—”
“You’ll what?”
I stopped.
I had nothing.
No organization.
No armed men.
No power.
Then Leo’s voice came through.
“Mom?”
My heart stopped.
“Leo!”
“I’m okay.”
“Baby, listen to me—”
The phone disconnected.
I stared at Peter.
“Get him back.”
Peter nodded.
Then Sam spoke.
“I know where Bellini is.”
Everyone turned.
“The old fish warehouse.”
Peter frowned.
“Lake Michigan?”
Sam nodded.
“Where his father threatened me.”
Peter immediately understood.
“He wants to finish it where it started.”
The federal agent stepped forward.
“We handle this.”
Peter looked at him.
“You can follow.”
“That isn’t how this works.”
“It is today.”
I grabbed Peter’s arm.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“He’s my son.”
“Exactly.”
“I am not sitting here.”
Peter looked at me.
For once, he didn’t argue.
“Stay behind me.”
We drove toward the lake.
Peter sat across from me.
His tattooed hands were clasped tightly.
I noticed something.
He was afraid.
Not for himself.
For Leo.
“Peter.”
He looked up.
“You don’t have to promise me anything.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
I leaned forward.
“Just bring him home.”
Peter held my gaze.
“I’m bringing both of us home.”
The warehouse appeared through the morning fog.
Peter’s men stopped outside.
Federal vehicles remained several blocks back.
Sam had insisted on coming.
Peter hated it.
But his father had refused to stay behind.
We entered.
Bellini stood near the center.
Leo sat on a wooden chair.
Unhurt.
“Mom!”
I moved.
Peter caught me.
“Wait.”
Bellini smiled.
“There’s the family reunion.”
Sam stepped forward.
“You wanted me.”
Bellini looked at him.
“You ruined my father.”
“No.”
Sam’s voice was steady.
“Your father ruined himself.”
Bellini’s jaw tightened.
Peter said, “Release the boy.”
“Give me Sam.”
“No.”
Sam looked at his son.
“Peter.”
“No.”
“Son.”
Peter turned.
Sam smiled faintly.
“I already sacrificed twenty-seven years.”
Peter’s eyes hardened.
“Then you’ve sacrificed enough.”
Bellini laughed.
“Beautiful.”
Then Leo suddenly shouted.
“Mom!”
He kicked backward.
The chair toppled.
Bellini turned instinctively.
Peter moved.
So did federal agents entering from both sides.
“Federal agents! Hands where we can see them!”
Bellini froze.
I ran.
“Leo!”
He broke free and sprinted toward me.
I dropped to my knees.
He hit me so hard we both nearly fell.
“Mom!”
I wrapped my arms around him.
Peter stood between us and Bellini.
Bellini looked around at the agents.
Then at Peter.
“You think this ends anything?”
Peter looked toward Sam.
Then Rose’s old photograph in his pocket.
“Yes.”
Bellini was handcuffed.
Peter watched him being taken away.
Sam approached his son.
“Dom.”
Peter turned.
Sam opened his arms.
Peter hugged his father.
May you like
This time, he didn’t let go quickly.
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