Chapter 15 - The Pawnshop Discovery
|
The hours ticked by agonizingly slowly. I sat in the living room with Matteo, playing endless games of chess to keep his mind off the fact that his father was currently marching into enemy territory.
Around 3:00 A.M., the heavy front doors finally swung open.
Luca walked in, smelling of rain, exhaust, and gunpowder. There was a small cut on his cheek, and his knuckles were bruised, but he was standing tall. Behind him, Bruno and three other guards carried two heavy, dented metal toolboxes.
Matteo dropped his chess piece and ran into the foyer. “Dad!”
Luca caught him, lifting the boy off his feet for a second despite his exhaustion. “I told you I’d get them back, buddy.”
Bruno set the toolboxes down heavily on the marble floor. They were battered, covered in grease, and absolutely beautiful to look at.
“Did you… did you get in a fight?” Matteo asked, touching the small cut on Luca’s face.
“Just a disagreement,” Luca said with a tight smile. “The Falcones realized they had purchased stolen property. They were very eager to return it once I explained the situation to them.”
I caught Bruno’s eye over Luca’s shoulder. Bruno’s grim expression told me the "explanation" had likely involved a lot of broken bones and shattered windows.
“Take them to the garage, Bruno,” Luca ordered. “Set them exactly where they were.”
As the men carried the boxes away, Luca turned to me. He looked exhausted, the adrenaline finally leaving his system.
“Thank you for staying up with him,” he said softly.
“It’s my job, Mr. Moretti. Well, my new job, I suppose.”
He offered a tired chuckle. “Luca. Call me Luca, Claire. You saved my son’s heart tonight. We’re past formalities.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He handed it to me.
“I found this in Vanessa’s belongings at the guest house before she left,” Luca said, his tone turning serious again. “She didn't just want the garage demolished because it was an eyesore. Look at the date on the order.”
I opened the paper. It was a copy of the demolition order. But at the bottom, scribbled in Vanessa’s handwriting, was a note directed to the Falcone boss.
The floorboards come up at 8 AM. Be ready for transport.
May you like
I looked up, confused. “Floorboards?”
Luca’s eyes darkened. “My father built that garage by himself. But I never knew what he put underneath it. Vanessa found out somehow, and she was trying to steal it.”
