“You said it was urgent. Talk.”
I slam the study door so hard it rattles the walls. My mother stands by the window, stiff as a statue, hands clenching the sill. She doesn’t even flinch. Something about Eva’s disappearance has hollowed her, and Isabella isn’t a woman who cracks easily.
Her shoulders are tense. When she turns around, I spot unshed tears in her eyes—a sight I haven’t seen since we buried my last surviving brother.
“Dante,” she says quietly, “Sit.”
I grit my teeth. “I have no time for dramatics.”
“Sit,” she snaps.
I drop into the closest armchair.
“I’ve been thinking about Yuri Petrov. About the war, the decisions we made.” She closes her eyes. “And I can’t help but think this is the universe making us atone for our sins.”
I snarl. “I don’t have time for superstitious beliefs, Mother. Luca’s missing. Linda’s circling. Eva’s vanished. The Russians just came by asking if I’ve stashed her somewhere. I need facts, not philosophy.”
She exhales a shaky breath. “There are skeletons in our closets, Dante, and I’m done pretending they don’t exist.”
My impatience flares. “What are you getting at?”
“You tried to spare Yuri Petrov. Remember? You called off the hit.”
I scowl. “Killing another man wasn’t going to bring back my brothers.”
She nods grimly, meeting my eyes for the first time. “No, it wasn’t. But I went behind your back. I gave the final order myself.”
A chill seizes my spine. “You did what?”
Her voice cracks. “I’d lost your father, my two youngest sons, all within months. I wanted revenge. An eye for an eye. I feared if we showed mercy, the Russians would butcher us. So I lied. I let them believe you’d demanded Petrov’s death.”
Rage coils in my gut. I surge to my feet, looming over her. “You pinned that on me? All this time, you’ve allowed everyone to believe I had Petrov killed.”
She swallows hard. “I saw no other way. We had to prove we still had teeth.”
“That’s why you recognized Eva.” I begin to pace, my mind reeling. “You saw Petrov in her face, knew who she really was.”
Her tears finally spill. “I’ve hated myself for it. But it’s too late.”
I grind my teeth to keep from shouting at her. “We’ll deal with your guilt later. Right now, Eva’s missing. I had a lead on her and where she was staying, but there hasn’t been any trace of her recently. She probably hates me and I need to find her, to correct all of this.”
My mother straightens her back. “We’ll fix it. I’ll help you.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “Fix it? We’re here because you tried to play God. Now it’s come full circle.”
She looks away, guilt crossing her features. “Tell me what’s happened since Eva left.”
I give her the short version. When I’m done, she nods slowly, processing it all.
“Linda has always been a snake,” she says. “I knew that from the day you brought her home. But how can a mother hope to dissuade a son in love?”
My jaw twitches, recalling how blind I was. I change the subject. “My men have been unable to locate Luca.”
My mother’s mouth forms a thin line. “He might be with Linda, or dancing to the Lombardi’s tune. We can’t let him be the wild card that destroys us.”
“First step is to question security. Somebody’s covering for him. Bribes, blackmail, I don’t know, but we have to root it out.”
We leave the study and stalk through the marble corridors. The mansion feels cold without Eva, tension crackling in the air. I spot a guard and bark, “Summon everyone. Now.”
Within minutes, my personal security staff lines up, exchanging wary looks as they sense my fury.
My mother stands at my side, hands clasped at her waist, expression grim. She’s still a Bellacino and still my mother, no matter how royally she fucked up.
“Who’s been in contact with Luca or Linda within the last seventy-two hours?” I ask. “Lie, and you’ll regret it.” I make eye contact with each and every one of them.
Nothing but silence for a long stretch of time.
Finally, one of the younger guards reluctantly steps forward. “I saw Luca leaving yesterday at dawn. Said he had errands. I tried to radio it in, but…” He glances at another guard. “Jacob said to keep it quiet, that Luca asked for privacy.”
Jacob shifts uncomfortably before saying, “He’s your son. I assumed you knew.”
I grit my teeth. “You assumed wrong. Next time you keep secrets, you’ll no longer have a job here.”
Jacob bows his head. “Understood.”
Another guard pipes up. “Linda was in and out last night. Had a quick meeting with someone I couldn’t ID.”
Isabella’s eyes narrow. “Why didn’t you report it?”
He shrugs. “She’s Luca’s mother.”
I slam my fist against the wall. “What else? I don’t care how small you think it is. Tell me—NOW.”
Mumbled answers reveal that a few staff members have gone AWOL. That’s a red flag. I exchange a knowing glance with my mother.
“Fine,” she snaps. “We’ll track them ourselves.”
I dismiss the guards. As they scatter, she says, “If Luca’s compromised, half these men could be in his pocket.”
“Then we do this quietly,” I tell her, bitterness coating my words. “No one else can be trusted.”
We march upstairs to my private office. My blood is an icy torrent, and all I can think about is how badly I want results. Eva is out there. Our baby is at risk. And the conspirators are crawling all over my territory.
I vow to find them—every last one—and make them pay.
Hours later, the sun dips low outside, staining the sky in bruised oranges and purples. My mother’s accountant, De Santis, stands at my desk with a folder, glasses sliding down his nose. My mother paces by the window, tense and silent.
“You said you found something,” I say, pointing to the folder he’s holding.
He nods. “I’ve reviewed the Bellacino accounts and found three months’ worth of suspicious transfers. Small enough to stay under the radar, but enough when you add them up.” He opens the folder with shaking hands. He’s nervous.
“Relax. I’m not in the habit of shooting messengers, especially ones bringing me valuable information.”
He looks at me for a brief moment, purses his lips, then lets out a breath.
I flip through the spreadsheets. As he said, the amounts are modest on paper, but combined, they’re significant, all wired to shell accounts under coded names.
“And these belong to Luca?”
De Santis clears his throat. “Yes, sir. Luca authorized all of them. The funds link back to Felix Sokolov’s shell company and one under Gianni Lombardi.”
A dark fury grips me as my mother comes over to join us, her eyes narrowing. “He’s paying off Lombardi? So he’s in bed with them?”
“Looks that way,” I mutter, snapping the folder shut. “My own son.”
My thoughts churn. If Luca has been bankrolling Lombardi, there’s no telling how deep this runs—or what they’ve done to Eva.
My mother’s voice trembles. “Dante, I know he’s your blood, but—”
I slam my palm on the desk. “I’ve never coddled him. He’s been a disappointment for years. Now he’s stealing from the family, aligning with our enemies—enough.” My jaw clenches. “Good work, De Santis. This stays between us. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.” He nods cordially at both of us, then leaves the room.
“What now?”
“Now I find Luca and his poor excuse for a mother. I’m going to force answers out of them.” I stand, rage boiling just below the surface, threatening to spill over.
She pales. “If Linda and Luca conspired with Lombardi, they won’t hesitate to hurt Eva. Or the baby.”
My fists tighten. “They’re not going to lay a finger on her. I’ll kill anyone who tries. Even my own son.”
She swallows. “I’ll gather some of our most trusted men. But be careful—this house is compromised.”
I sneer. “I need only a loyal few. I’ll track down Luca personally. When I do, he’ll pay for every dime stolen, every move he’s ever made against me. And he’ll tell me what he’s done with Eva.”
She steps closer and rests a trembling hand on my arm. “Dante, please let me help fix this.”
My anger is too raw to forgive her yet, but I could use her help. “Fine. Move fast. I’m done playing nice.”
She exhales, relief in her eyes. “I’ll bring in our captains.”
I stalk to the door, tension twisting in every muscle. “Don’t take too long. I’m going after my son. If he’s in half as deep as I think…” I let that threat hang.
My mother nods once, face drawn. “Do what you must.”
I stride into the hall, the guards lowering their gazes as I pass. They sense blood in the air. Eva’s out there, alone, carrying my child—one she believes is fathered by a murderer. My mother’s lies damned me in Eva’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Luca and Linda are scheming with Lombardi, siphoning money for who knows what.
One way or another, this ends.