Chapter 8
Eight men entered St. Michael.
Seven came out alive.
None reached Sofia.
That was the only number I cared about.
The first alarm came from the lower chapel.
My bodyguards moved immediately.
I stayed.
That surprised Adrian.
“You're not going?”
“No.”
He laughed.
“Afraid?”
I looked at him.
“My daughter is upstairs.”
His smile disappeared.
Men like Adrian always think violence is courage.
Sometimes courage is refusing the fight that pulls you away from who needs you.
Gabriel stood.
“I can help.”
“No.”
“I know Varga's men.”
“That makes you useful here.”
Gunfire echoed below.
Distant.
Contained.
Sofia's doctor called.
“She and the baby are stable.”
Noah?
“With her.”
Good.
Then one bodyguard shouted from the corridor.
“Boss!”
A man came through the side door.
Not Varga.
My own capo.
Raymond Ellis.
He had served me eleven years.
He raised a pistol.
Gabriel hit him from the side.
The shot tore into the ceiling.
My guards tackled Raymond.
I looked down at him.
“Another one?”
He spat blood.
“Should've stepped aside.”
Evelyn smiled.
There.
She knew.
I looked at her.
“How many of mine?”
She shrugged.
“Enough.”
Adrian stared.
“You never told me.”
She didn't even look at him.
“You didn't need to know.”
His humiliation deepened.
Good.
Then Sofia appeared at the top of the stairs.
I felt something close to fury.
“What are you doing?”
She held Noah's hand.
“I heard gunfire.”
“Go back.”
“No.”
Adrian stood.
“Sofia.”
She froze.
His voice changed instantly.
Gentle.
“Baby.”
I turned toward him.
He continued as if I wasn't there.
“Come here.”
Sofia's fingers tightened around Noah's hand.
“You're scared. I know.”
He smiled warmly.
“I forgive you.”
I almost laughed.
Sofia didn't.
He opened his arms.
“Come home with me.”
She stared at him.
Then at the bruises on her own arm.
Adrian softened his voice further.
“I didn't mean tonight.”
Silence.
“You know that.”
Sofia whispered:
“You punched our baby.”
“You were screaming.”
“I wasn't.”
“You were about to.”
There.
Even his revised lie blamed her for an action she hadn't taken.
He stepped closer.
My men raised their weapons.
He stopped.
“Sofia, your father is making this worse.”
She looked at me.
Then him.
“He hit you.”
Adrian smiled sadly.
“Because he doesn't understand us.”
Sofia's face changed.
Something hardened.
Finally.
“There is no us.”
Adrian's smile disappeared.
“You don't mean that.”
“Yes.”
His voice lowered.
Danger returned.
“Don't embarrass me.”
Noah hid behind her.
Adrian saw.
His face twisted.
“Stop that.”
Noah started crying.
Adrian pointed.
“See what you've done to him?”
Sofia stared.
“You made him afraid of you.”
“He's dramatic.”
“He's three.”
“And already manipulative.”
I moved.
Not to hit him.
To stand between him and Noah.
Adrian looked at me.
“You've turned my own son against me.”
“No.”
Sofia answered.
“He watched you.”
That silenced him.
Then Evelyn shouted from across the room:
“This is exactly why she needed discipline!”
Every head turned.
She didn't care.
“She cries and men rush to protect her.”
Sofia looked at her.
Evelyn continued.
“She was useless before Adrian married her.”
My daughter's face went white.
“You were Massimo's spoiled little princess.”
She pointed toward Sofia's stomach.
“And now you think carrying another child makes you important?”
I stepped forward.
Sofia raised one hand.
Stopped me.
Interesting.
She looked at Evelyn.
“You locked Noah outside.”
Evelyn shrugged.
“He wouldn't stop crying.”
“You told him he could eat when I apologized to Adrian.”
“He survived.”
“You made him sleep in the hallway.”
“He needed to understand where disobedience leads.”
Noah pressed his face into Sofia's dress.
Sofia's voice shook.
Not fear.
Rage.
“And you told him Grandpa wouldn't come.”
Evelyn smiled.
“He wasn't coming.”
She looked at me.
“You never noticed.”
That hurt.
Because she was right.
I hadn't.
She saw it.
Enjoyed it.
“Your daughter could have screamed your name every night.”
Her smile widened.
“You were too busy being the great Massimo Caradonna to hear her.”
That one landed.
Sofia looked at me.
I didn't defend myself.
Didn't deserve to.
Then a bodyguard entered.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“Lower chapel secure.”
“How many?”
“All eight.”
“And?”
He looked at Evelyn.
“We found the second team.”
Her smile vanished.
“Where?”
“North nursery corridor.”
Sofia grabbed Noah.
I turned.
“How many?”
“Four.”
My blood went cold.
“What were they carrying?”
The guard hesitated.
“Two child restraint harnesses.”
Silence.
One for Noah.
One for the unborn baby later?
No.
Not now.
Then he added:
“And a pregnant transport sling.”
Sofia's face emptied.
They had not come to negotiate.
They came prepared to take her.
I looked at Evelyn.
She finally stopped pretending.
“You were going to steal my daughter.”
Evelyn said nothing.
I stepped closer.
“And my grandson.”
Still nothing.
“And keep her alive until the baby was born.”
Her jaw tightened.
There.
Answer.
Adrian looked at his mother.
Horror now.
“You told me she'd stay with me.”
Evelyn finally looked at him.
“You were never part of the next stage.”
May you like
Adrian understood.
His mother had sold him too.
