Chapter 4 - THE MONSTER UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS
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The realization hung in the damp air like poison.
Luca raised two fingers without turning around.
Four heavily armed guards drew their suppressed sidearms and vanished down the basement stairs.
The sound of heavy tactical boots descended into the darkness.
Seconds later, a muffled shout and the sickening crash of splintering wood echoed from below.
Vanessa collapsed completely against the wall, weeping hysterically into her manicured hands.
“I never wanted Benjamin to get hurt!”
She wailed like a wounded animal.
“Julian promised me we would just hold him for three days!”
“Just long enough for you to sign over the docks and the shipping manifests!”
Julian Vance.
The name sent a shiver down my spine.
He was the ruthless underboss of the North Side syndicate, Luca’s bitterest rival for over a decade.
Luca didn’t even look surprised; his face merely transformed into a terrifying mask of pure calculation.
“You brought Vance’s top enforcer under the roof where my son sleeps.”
Luca stepped over to where Vanessa was curled on the floor.
“You let a murderer walk the halls where Isabella took her last breath.”
Down below, the basement door banged open again.
Two guards emerged, hauling a bruised, handcuffed man dressed in black tactical gear.
A heavy canvas duffel bag was slung over the guard’s shoulder.
The guard dumped the contents of the bag onto the center of the foyer floor.
Heavy industrial zip ties spilled out.
Rolls of black duct tape tumbled across the marble.
Beside them rolled three glass vials of liquid pediatric sedative and a disposable syringe.
Benjamin let out a terrified scream and buried his head into my chest.
“That was the needle!”
Benjamin shrieked, his voice cracking with pure trauma.
“Claire, that was the needle the man showed me yesterday!”
“He said it was medicine to make me sleep so I wouldn’t feel Bruno being put down!”
I couldn’t control the tears spilling down my own cheeks.
I dropped to my knees, wrapping my whole body over Benjamin like a human shield.
My heart broke into a thousand pieces for this innocent child.
Bruno limped forward, his tail tucking low between his legs as he pressed against my back.
The old dog licked my wet cheek, offering the only comfort he knew how to give.
Luca looked at the syringe on the floor.
His hands began to shake with a terrible, lethal tremor.
He walked over to the bound enforcer.
Without a single word, Luca drove his fist into the man’s jaw with bone-cracking force.
The enforcer slumped unconscious against the floorboards.
Luca turned his gaze back to Vanessa.
His eyes were dead.
“You are very lucky my son is in this room.”
Luca whispered, his voice shaking with restrained violence.
“Because if he weren't looking at me right now, this house would be your tomb.”
Vanessa began crawling toward him, begging on her knees.
“Luca, I’m your wife!”
“You took an oath before God to protect me!”
Luca tore the platinum wedding band off his finger and hurled it into her face.
May you like
“My only oath was to Isabella and my son.”
“And you just signed your own death warrant.”
