Chapter 7 - The Blood Riccardo Couldn’t Wash Away
Sofia stared at Riccardo.
“You killed my mother’s brother?”
Riccardo didn’t deny it.
Elena stepped between them.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
Sofia’s voice shook.
“I understand nothing.”
Riccardo looked at her.
“Tomas tried to kill me.”
Elena laughed.
“That’s what you told everyone.”
“It’s what happened.”
“You shot him in a parking garage.”
“He had a gun.”
“He was twenty-two.”
“And working for Greco.”
Elena’s eyes burned.
“He was trying to tell Isabella the truth about Vittorio.”
Riccardo went silent.
Sofia whispered, “You killed someone who was trying to help my mother?”
“I didn’t know.”
“That doesn’t bring him back.”
“No.”
Riccardo looked directly at her.
“It doesn’t.”
Sofia had expected excuses.
His refusal to give them almost made the truth worse.
Elena grabbed Sofia’s hand.
“We need to leave.”
Marco spoke.
“Building’s clear.”
Elena laughed.
“No, it isn’t.”
Everyone turned.
“What?”
“This isn’t where they kept me.”
Riccardo’s eyes narrowed.
“Then why are you here?”
“They moved me an hour ago.”
“Why?”
Elena looked toward a rusted overhead beam.
“Because they wanted all of you inside.”
Marco shouted, “Out!”
An explosion shook the far wall.
Fire rolled through a storage room.
Men ran toward the exits.
A second blast shattered windows.
Sofia fell.
Riccardo covered her with his body.
“Move!”
Elena coughed through the smoke.
“This way!”
She led them through a narrow maintenance corridor.
Behind them, flames swallowed the warehouse.
Sofia stumbled down a concrete staircase.
Riccardo caught her.
“Got you.”
“Don’t.”
“Save the argument.”
They reached a side alley.
Marco counted heads.
“Antonio’s missing.”
Riccardo turned.
“What?”
Another explosion hit.
A side wall collapsed.
Sofia screamed, “Antonio!”
A figure came through the smoke.
Antonio.
He was carrying Father Matteo.
Riccardo stared.
“What is he doing here?”
Antonio coughed.
“They attacked the safe house.”
Marco swore.
“Russo?”
“Dead.”
Sofia covered her mouth.
Father Matteo was weak but alive.
Antonio lowered him into a vehicle.
“We have a leak.”
Riccardo looked around at his own men.
Nobody spoke.
Elena whispered, “You’ve had a leak for twenty-three years.”
Riccardo faced her.
“Where is the ledger?”
Elena laughed.
“You think after all this I’m giving it to you?”
“Sofia is being hunted because of it.”
“She was being hunted before she could walk.”
Sofia stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Both stopped.
She looked at Elena.
“Did you steal me?”
Elena’s eyes filled.
“I saved you.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Sofia’s chest tightened.
“Did Isabella tell you to?”
“For one night.”
Sofia’s voice cracked.
“You kept me for twenty-three years.”
“I was scared.”
“For me?”
Elena looked away.
Sofia understood.
“For yourself.”
Elena began crying.
“I had nothing.”
“That doesn’t answer it.”
“Isabella trusted me with you.”
“For one night!”
Sofia shouted so loudly everyone went silent.
“You let me believe you gave birth to me.”
“I loved you.”
“And you lied.”
“Both can be true.”
Sofia turned away.
Father Matteo spoke weakly from the car.
“She’s right.”
Sofia looked at him.
The priest continued.
“Elena made terrible choices.”
He took a painful breath.
“But there is something you still don’t understand.”
Riccardo stepped closer.
“What?”
Father Matteo looked at Elena.
“Elena didn’t take Chiara alone.”
Sofia froze.
“Who helped her?”
The priest pointed toward Antonio.
“His father.”
Antonio’s face went pale.
“My father?”
Father Matteo nodded.
“Your father carried Chiara out of St. Vincent.”
Antonio stared at him.
“My father died saying he had never been inside that hospital.”
Father Matteo shook his head.
“He lied.”
Antonio’s eyes hardened.
“Why?”
May you like
Elena answered quietly.
“Because he started the fire.”
