Chapter 9 - THE MAN BEHIND THE FAMILY
Victor Moretti stepped into the light.
He was seventy years old, silver-haired, elegant, and smiling.
He looked like someone’s favorite grandfather.
That made him worse.
“Mia,” Sophia said. “I’m right here.”
“Mommy, please.”
Victor raised one finger.
“The pressure plate under her chair is sensitive.”
Sophia stopped.
“If the weight changes before I disable it, we all have a bad day.”
Valentina aimed her gun at him.
Victor smiled.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
“Disable it.”
“You first.”
Victor held out his hand.
“The bag.”
Sophia looked around.
Four armed men.
No clear exit.
No Lorenzo.
She handed Victor the bag.
He opened it.
“Very good.”
Valentina said, “Let the child go.”
Victor flipped through the ledgers.
“Children are remarkably useful. Adults become so cooperative.”
Sophia wanted to kill him.
“You murdered my husband.”
Victor looked at her.
“Daniel Hale.”
He smiled with recognition.
“A brave man.”
“You ordered his death.”
“I gave him several opportunities to be less brave.”
Sophia’s eyes burned.
“You’re proud of this?”
“No. Pride makes men careless.”
Victor glanced at Valentina.
“Isn’t that right?”
She tightened her grip on the gun.
“Go to hell.”
Victor chuckled.
“You were always emotional.”
“You told me nobody would get hurt.”
“No, dear. I told you nobody important would get hurt.”
Sophia saw the pain on Valentina’s face.
For once, she didn’t enjoy it.
Victor handed the bag to one of his men.
“Where is Lorenzo?”
Valentina shrugged.
“Dead.”
Victor’s expression didn’t change.
“You’re lying.”
“He was shot.”
“You’re still lying.”
Victor stepped closer.
“My nephew has survived three assassination attempts, one helicopter crash, and my brother’s parenting. A bullet is unlikely to finish him.”
Sophia looked at Mia.
The timer now showed twenty-four minutes.
“Please.”
Victor turned.
“Your husband said the same word.”
Sophia shook with fury.
“He begged me to leave you alone.”
Victor removed something from his pocket.
A silver chain.
St. Christopher medal.
Daniel’s.
Sophia’s knees almost gave out.
“I kept it because he impressed me.”
Victor tossed it.
Sophia caught it against her chest.
For two years she had wanted one more piece of Daniel.
Now it had been handed back by the man who killed him.
Victor said softly, “He died thinking he had protected you.”
Sophia looked up.
“He did.”
Victor smiled.
“No. You walked directly into my family.”
Suddenly, gunfire erupted outside.
Victor’s men turned.
Sophia dropped.
Valentina fired.
One guard fell.
Another shot struck a light.
Darkness.
Mia screamed.
Sophia crawled toward her.
Victor shouted, “Don’t touch the chair!”
A figure crashed through the side door.
Lorenzo.
Blood on his shirt.
Gun in his hand.
“Uncle!”
Victor fired.
Lorenzo dove behind a crate.
Sophia reached Mia.
“Baby, don’t move.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“Mommy—”
“I know.”
The timer showed seventeen minutes.
Then Sophia noticed something.
The wires beneath Mia’s chair didn’t run to the bomb.
They ran to the digital clock.
The bomb was fake.
Sophia grabbed Mia and lifted her.
Victor screamed.
“No!”
The timer kept counting.
Nothing exploded.
Sophia stared at him.
Victor’s smile vanished.
And behind her, a second timer suddenly lit up on the wall.
06:00.
May you like
That bomb was real.
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