Chapter 4 - Carmine’s Last Bargain
Nora grabbed Carmine by the collar.
“Where is Ethan?”
He smiled through a split lip.
“Careful.”
I pulled her back.
“Let me handle him.”
“He has my child!”
“And he wants you angry.”
“I am angry!”
“I know.”
Carmine looked pleased.
“This is touching.”
I pressed the muzzle against his knee.
His smile disappeared.
“Where is the boy?”
“You won’t shoot me.”
I fired into the wooden floor beside his leg.
Nora jumped.
Carmine stopped breathing.
“I didn’t ask whether you thought I would.”
He swallowed.
“Old carriage house.”
“Where?”
“Westchester.”
“Who has him?”
“Two men.”
“Names.”
“Frank Delaney and Marcus Pike.”
I recognized both.
Former contractors.
Mercenaries.
Nora moved toward the door.
I caught her arm.
“Not yet.”
“My son is—”
“We need Carmine alive until Ethan is safe.”
I looked at him.
“And we need a phone.”
Carmine laughed.
“Your communications are jammed.”
“My estate communications.”
I pointed toward my father’s desk.
“Not his.”
I pulled open the bottom drawer.
Inside sat an old hard-line emergency telephone.
My father never trusted wireless systems.
I dialed one number from memory.
After two rings, someone answered.
“Who is this?”
“Marco.”
Silence.
Then my uncle’s voice sharpened.
“Luca?”
“Where are you?”
“Ballroom. Security is evacuating guests through the south terrace. What the hell is happening?”
“Carmine betrayed us.”
Another pause.
“Say that again.”
“He brought armed men inside.”
“Where are you?”
“Father’s study. Carmine is with me.”
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
I gave him the Westchester address.
“There is a seven-year-old boy being held there.”
“Who?”
I looked at Nora.
“My nephew.”
Marco said nothing.
“Get him out,” I ordered. “Take ten men you trust. Nobody else.”
“You have a nephew?”
“Later.”
I hung up.
Nora stared at me.
“You trusted him quickly.”
“My uncle hated Carmine for twenty years.”
“Why?”
“He has taste.”
Despite everything, Nora almost laughed.
Carmine watched us.
“You think Marco saves the boy and this ends?”
“It begins.”
He leaned against the desk.
“You still don’t understand how many people I bought.”
“Then tell me.”
“Why would I?”
“Because if Ethan dies, I stop needing you alive.”
Carmine’s confidence cracked.
I had known him long enough to recognize it.
“Names,” I said.
He gave me three.
Two security chiefs.
One accountant.
Then a fourth.
“Joey Crane.”
Nora flinched.
“I saw him kill the guard.”
Carmine nodded.
“He’s ambitious.”
“Stupid,” I said.
“Same thing, sometimes.”
A faint vibration came through the floor.
Then shouting.
My loyal security teams had begun reclaiming the estate.
Carmine heard it too.
“You’ve lost,” I told him.
“No.”
His eyes moved toward Nora.
“You haven’t asked why she applied for this job now.”
I looked at her.
She went still.
Carmine smiled.
“She knew something was happening.”
“Nora?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I received a letter.”
“When?”
“Four weeks ago.”
“From whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did it say?”
“That Daniel’s death wasn’t what I believed.”
“And?”
“It told me to apply for the temporary housekeeping position here.”
I stared at her.
“You came here deliberately.”
“Yes.”
“You lied to me.”
“I never said I came here by accident.”
“You let me believe—”
“I was trying to find out who killed Daniel.”
“And you brought danger toward Ethan?”
Her face twisted.
“I thought Ethan was safe.”
Carmine chuckled.
“Beautiful.”
I turned toward him.
“Shut up.”
Nora took a step back.
“If you want me gone after tonight, I understand.”
“Your son is my brother’s child.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“It means nobody touches him again.”
Nora stared.
Before she could answer, the emergency phone rang.
I picked it up.
Marco.
“We have the boy.”
Nora grabbed my arm.
“Is he okay?”
I put the phone on speaker.
A small voice came through.
“Mom?”
Nora broke.
“Ethan!”
“Mom, Uncle Marco says you’re okay.”
She covered her mouth.
“Yes, baby. I’m okay.”
“Who is Uncle Marco?”
Marco muttered, “Long story.”
Ethan said, “He gave me chocolate.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
Of course he had.
Nora laughed through tears.
“I’m coming to get you.”
“Okay.”
“Stay with him.”
“I will.”
The line clicked.
Nora stood motionless.
Then she turned toward me.
“Thank you.”
“Thank Marco.”
“I’m thanking you.”
Behind us, Carmine suddenly lunged.
He had pulled a second gun from an ankle holster.
Nora shouted.
I turned.
Carmine aimed at me.
But instead of shooting, Nora stepped between us.
I knocked her sideways.
The gun fired.
Pain tore across my upper arm.
I fired once.
Carmine’s weapon dropped.
He collapsed against the wall, injured but conscious.
I stood over him.
“You aimed at her.”
He laughed weakly.
“I aimed at you.”
“Same mistake.”
Footsteps thundered outside.
My men entered.
I looked at my security chief.
“Take Carmine alive.”
Carmine’s expression changed.
“You’re not killing me?”
“No.”
May you like
I glanced at the documents across the desk.
“You’re going to spend a very long time explaining everything you did.”
