Chapter 2 - The Price of a Secret
Rachel Donovan slapped Luca the moment he walked into her apartment.
Hard.
His head turned.
Nobody moved.
Not Marco.
Not the two security men standing near the ruined front door.
Not even the police detective examining the broken lock.
Rachel stood in front of Luca in sweatpants and a torn gray sweater.
Blood ran from a cut near her eyebrow.
Her hands shook.
“You.”
Luca said nothing.
“This is because of you.”
“I know.”
“You promised me.”
“I know.”
“You said staying away would keep her safe.”
“I was wrong.”
Rachel struck his chest with both hands.
Luca barely moved.
“You don’t get to say that now!”
“Rachel—”
“Three years!”
Her voice cracked.
“You disappeared for three years, and I had to explain to a little girl why everyone else had a father except her.”
Luca’s face tightened.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
She pushed him again.
“She thinks you’re dead sometimes.”
Each word landed harder than the slap.
“She draws you without a face.”
“I saw.”
Rachel stared.
“How?”
“Marco showed me a photo.”
“You have pictures of her?”
Luca didn’t answer quickly enough.
Rachel laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“Of course you do.”
“Rachel—”
“You watched us.”
“To keep you safe.”
“And how did that work out?”
Silence.
Marco stepped forward.
“We need to move.”
Rachel turned on him.
“My daughter is gone.”
“We’re going to get her back.”
She looked at Luca.
“You better.”
Luca crossed the living room.
Emma’s drawings were scattered near a small table.
One showed a house.
One showed Rachel holding Emma’s hand.
Another showed a black car.
Two dark figures sat inside.
Luca crouched.
“When did she draw this?”
“Yesterday.”
“Did she say anything?”
“I asked who the men were.”
“And?”
Rachel swallowed.
“She said they smiled at her.”
Luca looked up sharply.
“Where?”
“She said near school.”
Marco cursed under his breath.
“Your people missed them?”
Luca’s eyes moved to Marco.
Marco looked furious.
“We’re checking every surveillance log.”
Luca picked up the drawing.
Emma had colored one man’s hand red.
“What’s this?”
Rachel looked.
“I don’t know.”
Luca studied it.
“Did she see a tattoo?”
“Maybe.”
He handed the page to Marco.
“Scan it.”
Marco nodded.
Rachel folded her arms.
“What happens now?”
“We find her.”
“That isn’t a plan.”
“No.”
Luca looked at her.
“This is.”
His tone changed.
The father disappeared.
The man who controlled half the waterfront returned.
“We shut down every Sokolov warehouse.”
Marco’s eyebrows rose.
“Every one?”
“Every one.”
“That’ll start a war.”
“The war started when he touched my daughter.”
“Luca,” Rachel said sharply.
He faced her.
“I don’t care about your war.”
“Neither do I.”
“You clearly do.”
“I care about Emma.”
“Then bring her home without turning New York into your personal battlefield.”
Luca held her gaze.
“I’ll do whatever gets her back.”
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Everyone went still.
Luca answered.
No greeting.
No voice.
Only breathing.
Then a child whispered:
“Mommy?”
Rachel covered her mouth.
“Emma!”
Luca put the call on speaker.
“Emma?”
Silence.
The line crackled.
“Who is that?” Emma whispered.
Luca’s throat closed.
He had imagined the first time his daughter heard his voice a thousand ways.
None of them involved a kidnapping.
“My name is Luca.”
Rachel stared at him.
Emma breathed softly.
Then asked:
“Are you my daddy?”
No one in the room moved.
Luca’s eyes closed for half a second.
“Yes.”
Another silence.
Then Emma said something that made every man in the room look toward the windows.
“The man with the red hand says you have ten minutes.”
A rough voice replaced hers.
“Bellini.”
Luca’s expression turned to stone.
“Put my daughter back on.”
“You hid your weakness well.”
“Sokolov.”
A laugh.
“You recognize me.”
“Where is she?”
“You’ll get instructions.”
“If she is hurt—”
“You’ll do what?”
Viktor Sokolov sounded amused.
“Kill me?”
“Yes.”
“That threat would be more convincing if your heart wasn’t already trying to do my job.”
Luca went completely still.
Rachel stared at him.
Marco’s face changed.
Sokolov knew about the diagnosis.
That information had existed for less than six hours.
Only hospital staff, Marco, Luca—
and whoever had access to his most private conversations knew.
Sokolov laughed quietly.
“Now do you understand, Luca?”
The call disconnected.
Marco looked at him.
“This isn’t just a leak.”
“No.”
Luca stared at the dead screen.
May you like
“There’s someone inside the room with us.”
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