Chapter 5 - The Woman They Tried to Silence
Vanessa’s expression turned vicious.
“The waitress?”
Dante nodded.
“She heard everything.”
Vanessa laughed once.
“You’re trusting restaurant staff over your wife?”
“My wife tried to send my car over a mountain.”
“You have no proof.”
Carlo entered.
“We have the recording with Victor.”
Vanessa’s face changed.
Dante said, “It’s over.”
But it wasn’t.
Victor disappeared before Dante’s men reached his apartment.
And by sunrise, Cara’s photograph had been found on his phone.
Dante entered the guest room where Cara was eating breakfast.
“We have a problem.”
Cara lowered her coffee.
“I’ve noticed your problems tend to be unusually large.”
“Victor escaped.”
Her humor vanished.
“Does he know I’m here?”
“Probably.”
Cara stood.
“I need to leave.”
“No.”
“I have a younger sister in Queens.”
Dante paused.
“Name?”
“Lucy.”
He looked at Carlo.
“Bring her here.”
Cara stepped forward.
“You are not dragging my sister into a mafia mansion.”
“I’m keeping her alive.”
“She’ll panic.”
“Then call her.”
Cara did.
Lucy answered sleepily.
“Cara?”
“Hey.”
“Why are you calling at six?”
Cara looked at Dante.
“Something happened.”
“What?”
Cara struggled.
Dante held out his hand.
“No.”
“Give me the phone.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Cara.”
She reluctantly handed it over.
Dante spoke.
“Lucy?”
A pause.
Then a very loud voice came through the speaker.
“WHO IS THIS?”
Cara closed her eyes.
Dante looked almost startled.
“My name is Dante Moretti.”
Silence.
Then:
“THE MAFIA GUY?”
Carlo turned away.
Cara covered her face.
Dante replied calmly.
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“Why do you have my sister’s phone?”
Cara snatched it back.
“I’m fine!”
“You’d better be!”
Twenty minutes later, men were already on the way to collect Lucy.
Cara looked at Dante.
“You really do solve everything by sending black SUVs.”
“They’re efficient.”
A guard suddenly rushed inside.
“Boss. We found Victor.”
“Where?”
“Bellini’s.”
Cara frowned.
“The restaurant?”
“He took the manager hostage.”
Her stomach dropped.
“My manager?”
Dante grabbed his coat.
Cara followed.
“No.”
She kept walking.
Dante stopped.
“Cara.”
“That man knows me. Maybe I can get him talking.”
“He wants you dead.”
“And Vanessa wanted you dead. Yet you stood ten feet from her.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“You’re not coming.”
Cara stepped closer.
“You don’t get to order me around.”
“I absolutely do when someone is trying to kill you.”
“Why?”
The question stopped him.
Cara stared into his gray eyes.
“Why do you care so much?”
Dante didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Because two nights ago, every person I trusted failed me.”
He looked at her scraped hands.
“Except you.”
Cara’s anger faded.
Carlo appeared at the door.
“Boss.”
Dante turned.
“We go together.”
Cara blinked.
“What?”
“You stay beside me.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
Dante opened the door.
May you like
“It is.”
---
