Chapter 17 - Flight in the Dark|
The wind on the roof of the penthouse was deafening. The blades of the matte-black helicopter sliced through the rain, creating a miniature hurricane that whipped my hair wildly around my face. Alessandro held my hand tightly as we ducked under the spinning rotors, Marco shielding Emma with his own body.
We strapped into the leather seats of the chopper. Alessandro fastened Emma's headset, giving her a reassuring wink before putting on his own. Through the comms, I could hear the pilot coordinating with air traffic control, masking our flight path under a private corporate registry.
"We'll be at the estate in forty minutes," Alessandro's voice crackled through the headset. He reached across the narrow cabin and squeezed my knee. "Try to relax."
I looked out the window as the helicopter banked sharply over the East River, leaving the glowing grid of Manhattan behind. The darkness of the Atlantic Ocean stretched out before us, vast and intimidating. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were running, that Lorenzo had successfully forced the mighty Alessandro Moretti to flee his own city.
"He wanted us to run, didn't he?" I asked, my voice carrying over the secure channel.
Alessandro's eyes met mine, a cold, predatory intelligence gleaming in them. "Yes. He wants to draw me out of the city. He knows he can't breach the penthouse without a small army, which would attract the Feds. He wants me in the open."
"Then why are we doing exactly what he wants?"
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"Because," Alessandro smiled, a terrifying expression that belonged to the ruthless mafia boss he had once been, "the Hamptons estate isn't just a safe house. It's a trap. Let Lorenzo come to the isolated woods. Let him try to take my family. He will find out exactly why I am the head of this family."
Beside me, Emma was already dozing off again, lulled by the vibration of the helicopter. I rested my head back against the seat, preparing my heart for the war that was undoubtedly coming.
