Chapter 1 - The Ghost From the Past
|
The rain hitting the tinted windows of the SUV sounded like a swarm of angry bees. I sat frozen against the pristine leather seat, the photograph trembling so violently in my hand that the glossy paper crinkled. It was Jake. There was no mistaking the sharp line of his jaw, the arrogant tilt of his head, or the faded denim jacket he had worn the night he walked out on me and our daughter.
“That’s impossible,” I breathed, the words barely making it past the tight knot in my throat. “He disappeared eighteen months ago. The police said he likely left the state. They said he was gone.”
Luca Castellano did not look at me with pity. He looked at me with the cold, calculating precision of a man who dealt in facts, not comfort. He reached out, his large, scarred hand gently taking the photograph from my shaking fingers.
“The police in this city only see what they are paid to see, Ava,” Luca said, his voice a low, vibrating rumble over the hum of the engine. “Jake Martinez did not leave Washington. He went underground. And now, he has resurfaced.”
“But why is he outside my diner?” I demanded, panic rising like bile in my throat. “Why does he have my daughter’s name written on the back of this picture? He never cared about Emma. He stole my grandmother’s inheritance and left us with nothing!”
“Because Jake did not just steal from you,” Luca replied, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “He stole a shipment of untraceable bearer bonds from a warehouse owned by my family. He owes the Castellano syndicate three million dollars.”
The air in the SUV evaporated. I pressed my back harder against the door, staring at the mafia boss sitting inches away from me. “You think I have your money?”
“If I thought you had my money, we would be having a very different conversation,” Luca said smoothly. “I know you are broke, Ava. I know you work double shifts on a sprained ankle just to afford basic medication. Jake is watching you because he is desperate. He knows my men are hunting him, and he needs leverage.”
May you like
My blood ran entirely cold. “Leverage.”
“He is planning to take your daughter,” Luca said quietly, letting the horrific truth settle over me. “He intends to use Emma as a shield to negotiate his way out of a death sentence.”
