Chapter 6 - Midnight at Bellaforte
They drove back to Brooklyn faster than Isabella wanted to know.
During the entire trip, Luca made calls.
Not to soldiers.
To lawyers.
A retired federal agent.
Enzo.
Grant.
Finally Rosa.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Isabella’s fear sharpened into anger.
"If Dominic hurts her—"
"He won’t."
"You don’t know that."
"He needs the ledger."
"He also needs your mother."
"Which means both are leverage."
"That’s supposed to comfort me?"
"No."
By ten that night, Bellaforte was closed.
The owner had been told there was a gas leak.
Staff were sent home.
Dominic believed Luca was coming alone with Isabella.
He was wrong.
Grant had contacted a federal task force quietly.
They could not raid without clearer evidence of kidnapping.
So Luca wore a wire.
Isabella refused one.
"I’m not trained."
"Exactly," Luca said.
"I’m also not staying outside."
"Isabella."
"My grandmother is in there."
"We don’t know that."
"Then I’m going in to find out."
Luca looked at Grant.
Grant shrugged.
"She sounds like Rosa."
"That isn’t helping."
At 11:58, Luca and Isabella entered through the front door.
Only half the lights were on.
Table six stood exactly where it had three nights earlier.
Dominic sat there alone.
A bottle of wine waited.
"Very theatrical," Isabella said.
Dominic smiled.
"You always did have a mouth."
"You’ve known me three days."
"I’ve known about you twenty-eight years."
Luca stopped.
"You watched her?"
"Your mother forced us to."
"My mother?"
Dominic laughed.
"No, Luca. Elena made you weak because you believed every word after hearing her voice on a tape."
"Where is she?"
"Safe."
"Rosa?"
"Also safe."
"Prove it."
Dominic gestured.
A side door opened.
Rosa entered.
Her hands were tied.
Isabella moved.
A man stepped behind Rosa with a gun.
"Stop," Luca said.
Isabella did.
"Nonna!"
"I’m fine."
Rosa looked furious more than frightened.
"Dominic has inherited his father’s lack of imagination."
Dominic rolled his eyes.
"Even kidnapped, she complains."
"Where is Elena?" Luca asked.
"Ledger first."
Luca placed a leather bag on the table.
Dominic’s eyes dropped toward it.
"Open it."
Luca did.
The ledger lay inside.
Dominic rose.
"The original."
"Yes."
"You made copies."
"Of course."
Dominic smiled.
"Then this evening is pointless."
"Not if you tell me where my mother is."
Dominic walked around the table.
"Luca, you still don’t understand. This was never about paper."
"What is it about?"
"Control."
"Over what?"
"Your name."
He poured wine.
"Do you know why men followed you after Carlo died?"
"Fear."
"Partly. Mostly continuity. They believed you were Carlo’s son."
Luca’s expression did not change.
Dominic continued.
"If they learn you’re the son of Matteo Romano, what happens?"
"I don’t care."
"That is the problem."
Dominic looked almost disappointed.
"You stopped caring about the organization."
"I stopped confusing it with family."
"And you think you can just walk away?"
Luca stared.
"I’m beginning to."
Dominic’s smile vanished.
"My father spent his life building what Carlo started."
"With stolen money."
"Money is rarely born clean."
Rosa spat, "Men like you say that because washing it would require work."
Dominic’s face tightened.
"Quiet."
"No."
The armed man behind her pushed the barrel closer.
Isabella took one step forward.
"Don’t touch her."
Dominic looked at her.
"Your grandmother survived because Elena begged for her life."
"From your father."
"From mine. From Carlo. From everyone."
"That doesn’t make you merciful."
"No. It makes her fortunate."
Luca said, "Where is my mother?"
Dominic drank.
"She came to Brooklyn willingly."
"Because you lied."
"I gave her what she wanted."
"What?"
"The chance to see you without being seen."
Luca frowned.
Dominic pointed upward.
Bellaforte’s second floor contained private offices.
"She has been here for two days."
Isabella looked toward the staircase.
Luca moved.
Dominic raised his hand.
The gun behind Rosa shifted.
"Sit."
Luca sat.
Dominic opened the ledger.
He flipped through pages.
"You know the amusing part? This doesn’t just destroy me."
"It destroys everyone."
"It destroys you."
"I don’t care."
"Your businesses. Your associates. Men who have families."
"Men who chose."
"And you?"
Luca did not answer.
Dominic leaned closer.
"You ordered things too."
Isabella looked at Luca.
He met her eyes.
No denial.
That mattered.
Dominic smiled.
"Your hero has blood on his hands."
"He isn’t my hero," Isabella said.
Luca almost laughed.
Dominic did not.
"He will be less charming when the government puts him away."
"If he belongs there, he belongs there."
This time Luca looked at her differently.
Respect.
Maybe gratitude.
Dominic shut the ledger.
"You Romani always had a talent for righteousness."
"Romano," Rosa snapped.
"Whatever."
"That mistake is why your father lost."
Dominic turned.
"What did you say?"
Rosa smiled.
"Your father never found Elena’s second ledger."
Silence.
Dominic’s face changed.
Luca looked at Rosa.
"Second?"
She nodded toward Isabella.
"My granddaughter has it."
Isabella stared.
"I do?"
Rosa’s eyes met hers.
Then Isabella understood.
The brass key.
There had been another item in the metal box.
The silver medal.
She had put it in her purse without thinking.
Dominic stepped toward her.
"Give me your bag."
"No."
The man behind Rosa shifted again.
Luca stood.
"Touch her and this ends badly."
"For whom?"
"For everyone."
Footsteps sounded above them.
Slow.
Unsteady.
Dominic looked toward the staircase.
Luca stopped breathing.
A woman appeared at the top.
Silver hair.
Thin face.
Dark eyes.
Elena.
Luca stared upward.
"Ma?"
She gripped the railing.
For one suspended second, mother and son simply looked at each other.
Then Elena’s eyes moved past him.
Toward Dominic.
"You lied to me again."
Dominic reached inside his jacket.
Luca moved.
May you like
A gunshot exploded.
Elena fell.
