Chapter 7 - The Gathering Storm|
The sunrise over Lake Michigan painted the sky in brilliant hues of amber and gold as Samuel woke up.
Luca carried his brother down the hall in his arms, just as he had done when Samuel was a small boy with nightmares.
When Samuel opened his eyes and saw his bedroom restored to its former glory, he couldn't speak for nearly a minute.
He touched his baseball glove on the desk, stroked the frame of a picture showing him and Frank fishing, and wept quietly.
“You brought it all back,” Samuel whispered, turning to bury his face in Luca’s chest.
“It never should have left, Sammy,” Luca replied, kissing the top of the boy’s head.
“This is your home, and nothing in this world is ever going to change that again.”
After Samuel fell back into an exhausted, peaceful sleep, reality returned to the mansion with cold precision.
By eight in the morning, Luca’s most trusted commanders had gathered in the formal library on the ground floor.
Matteo, a silver-haired consigliere who had served Frank for thirty years, set a thick leather dossier on the desk.
“The Bellinis won’t accept this quietly, Luca,” Matteo warned gravely, adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses.
“Old Don Bellini has pride like a wounded bear, and Vanessa is poisoning his ear with lies about an unprovoked betrayal.”
“Let them try whatever foolishness they want,” Luca answered coldly, pouring black coffee into three ceramic mugs.
“Frank built our foundations on loyalty; the Bellinis built theirs on greed and deceit.”
“They are financially bankrupt, Luca,” Matteo continued, tapping the financial statements inside the folder.
“Vanessa needed your marriage to secure your trust accounts to pay off their cartel debts in Miami.”
“Without your capital, the Bellini family will default on their loans within sixty days.”
“Desperate men do desperate things, boss.”
Luca walked over to the mahogany desk, his posture rigid with absolute command.
“From this second onward, Samuel is surrounded by round-the-clock security,” Luca commanded without hesitation.
“Two armored vehicles will escort him to and from St. Michael’s Academy every single day.”
“I want our four best men stationed across the street from his school grounds at all times.”
Matteo nodded respectfully, jotting down the directives in his small notebook.
“And what about the domestic staff, Luca?” Matteo asked cautiously, glancing toward the door.
Luca’s expression softened slightly as he looked toward the kitchen, where I was preparing breakfast for the boy.
“Hannah Collins stays,” Luca said firmly.
“She risked her employment, her safety, and her future to protect my brother when everyone else turned a blind eye.”
“Promote her to head of the household immediately, double her salary, and ensure her mother’s medical expenses are paid in full.”
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Standing just outside the library door with a tray of fresh coffee, my breath hitched in my throat.
Luca Moretti was a dangerous man to his enemies, but to those who showed loyalty to his family, he was an impenetrable shield.
