Chapter 5
Luca moved with swift, calculated precision. He pulled back the heavy velvet curtains at the rear of the VIP room to reveal a discreet, polished steel panel perfectly blended into the mahogany wall. It was a private, biometric service elevator, designed specifically for the discreet movement of high-value VIPs during emergencies. Luca pressed his thumb against the hidden scanner. A soft, electronic chime sounded, and the steel doors slid silently open.
"Get up, Hannah," Luca instructed, his voice low and urgent. "Keep Sophia close."
Hannah struggled to her feet, her plus-sized frame trembling under the weight of fear and the sleeping three-year-old in her arms. The beautiful pale-yellow floral dress with its layered ruffles spilled over Hannah’s mint-green uniform, creating a stark contrast of innocence and terror. She adjusted her grip, her white lace apron shifting as she stepped carefully into the small elevator car.
Luca followed immediately, his broad, muscular frame taking up most of the remaining space. He hit the button for the sub-basement parking garage. The doors closed, sealing them in a small, brightly lit steel box.
"When the doors open, we are going to be in the restricted garage," Luca explained, his intense piercing eyes scanning the floor numbers as they descended. "My personal armored SUV is parked in Bay 4. It has ballistic glass and military-grade armor. Once you are inside, you do not unlock the doors for anyone except me."
"What are you going to do?" Hannah asked, her warm face pale, her expressive eyes wide with anxiety. "You can't just fight your own men alone, Mr. Moretti! There are dozens of them up there!"
"Only Marcus and a select few of his inner circle are traitors," Luca replied coldly, pulling a sleek, suppressed black handgun from the concealed holster beneath his tailored suit jacket. He checked the chamber with a smooth, practiced motion that betrayed decades of underworld survival. "The rest of my men are loyal, but they don't know Marcus has flipped. I need to neutralize him quietly before he sparks a civil war inside my own syndicate."
Sophia stirred in Hannah’s arms, her curly golden-brown hair brushing against Hannah’s cheek. The little girl rubbed her rosy face and opened her bright, innocent eyes, blinking sleepily at the steel walls of the elevator.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Sophia asked, her sweet voice echoing softly.
"We are going on a quiet adventure, sweetheart," Luca said, his rugged, masculine face instantly softening into a warm, reassuring smile that hid the lethal reality of their situation. "Hannah is going to take you to the big black car, and you are going to play a game of hide-and-seek until I get there."
"Okay!" Sophia smiled radiantly, entirely fearless as long as she was in Hannah’s nurturing arms. She looked up at the waitress. "Are you coming home with us, Hannah?"
Hannah’s lips trembled. She looked at the incredibly handsome, heavily armed Mafia boss standing beside her, then down at the fragile child she had saved twice. "I... I think so, sweetie. I'm going to stay with you."
"She is staying with us forever," Luca declared, his voice carrying an absolute, unbreakable vow.
The elevator decelerated smoothly, stopping with a soft mechanical hum.
"Stay behind me," Luca ordered, raising his weapon as he stepped slightly in front of Hannah.
The steel doors slid open. The sub-basement garage was bathed in harsh, cinematic fluorescent lighting. It was deathly quiet, the expansive concrete floors empty except for a dozen luxury vehicles and Luca’s massive black armored SUV parked fifty yards away.
Luca stepped out cautiously, his polished black dress shoes silent on the concrete. His piercing eyes scanned the concrete pillars and shadows.
"Clear," Luca whispered, waving Hannah forward. "Move to the car, quickly."
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Hannah stepped out, hugging Sophia tightly, and began a fast, desperate walk toward the SUV. They were halfway across the open floor when the harsh fluorescent lights suddenly flickered and died, plunging the massive garage into near-absolute darkness.
"Well, well, Mr. Moretti," Marcus’s cold, echoing voice rang out from the shadows near the exit ramp. "I told you, you shouldn't have left the VIP room."
