85 Finally, The Break Needed
85 Finally, The Break Needed
Luca,
A week had passed, dragging on with an agonizing slowness, and my father still hadn’t unraveled the tangled web of this matter. Karolyn was proving to be as impenetrable as a fortress.
Mathias told me that my father had called him, asking for money. He also mentioned that it might be a good idea for me to patch things up with my father. Everyone believed our fight was real. The weight of this elaborate charade hung heavy on me, and I longed for the day we could drop the act.
The investigation was going nowhere, and the people at the packhouse were growing too comfortable, like guests overstaying their welcome. Every day, it seemed more likely we’d be stuck in Celio longer than any of us wanted.
I was at a loss. My mother had begged me to convince my father to abandon the mission, and with each passing day, I found myself leaning toward her point of view. If another week slipped by and Karolyn didn’t crack, I’d plead with him to come home. I needed my father by my side, not out there, tangled in danger, and certainly not in the clutches of someone like her.
I sat in my home office, trying to focus on some reports, but my thoughts kept wandering. The weight of uncertainty pressed down on me like a suffocating fog. Emma walked in, and I immediately noticed the dark circles under her eyes. They were partly my fault—we hadn’t been sleeping properly. We were taking turns, one of us staying awake just in case my father needed us. I had told her to let me and my friends handle it, but Emma, stubborn as ever, refused to leave me alone in this. She was my rock, even though I could see the toll it was taking on her. I worried about her; with the claiming, her heat was coming soon. I silently prayed this nightmare would end before then.
“Come here,” I said softly, moving in my chair to make room for her. She climbed into my lap without hesitation, straddling me and offering a tired smile. I pulled her close, wanting nothing more than to feel her warmth, to lose myself in her scent and forget the chaos for just a moment. P
The tension in my chest eased slightly as she wrapped her arms around me. I kissed her, and for the first time in days, I felt grounded. Resting my head against her chest, I let out a long sigh. It had been a week since we’d made love, and the distance between us, even unspoken, was gnawing at me.
She must have sensed it too. When my hands slid under her robe, I discovered she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. She gave me a teasing smile, her eyes sparkling despite her exhaustion.
“All work and no play makes Luca grouchy,” she teased, and that was all the invitation I needed. I slipped the robe off her shoulders and let my lips explore her skin, losing myself in her completely.
I placed her on the desk, ready to take things further when my phone buzzed, shattering the moment. I groaned in frustration. If I hadn’t been waiting for my father’s call, I would’ve ignored it entirely. But when I saw the number on the screen, I tensed, my frustration replaced by urgency.
“What is it?” Emma asked, concern etched on her face. I met her gaze briefly before answering.
“Father,” I said, my voice taut with anticipation. Emma quickly adjusted her robe, giving me an encouraging smile. Both of us silently hoped this would be the call that changed everything.
“Karolyn is with us now,” my father said without preamble. Relief and unease warred within me. What did he mean by with us? Did she truly switch sides, or had she broken him instead?
“Father, that woman—” I began, but he cut me off.
“She’s sick, Luca. And it’s not cancer. She’s suffering from silver radiation poisoning. That’s what she’s been treating all this time. I had to buy her medicine to keep her alive. Listen to me carefully,” he said, his tone grim.
“Her father and uncle started this cult years ago. It began as a rebellion against the Mafia after what happened in Somberg. Karolyn was just doing her job. Her father’s gone now, and her uncle, Johannes Wallace, is the one pulling the strings. When her father was in charge, the group wasn’t like this. They didn’t kill—they just fought for independence from Mafia rule. Towns like Somberg existed because of them. But Wallace has turned the group into something darker. He almost let Karolyn die because she didn’t bring him useful information.”
His voice dropped lower. “We have moles in our midst, Luca. Mario Russo has been working with them for years. He sold out his own brother, Luciano and orchestrated the attack on him. Turns out, Mario hid the will that named Luciano as the head of the Russo family. He wanted the power for himself. And Marco Diaz—he’s another mole. He started working with them just before the attacks. His brother tried to divide the business, and Marco had him killed to keep control.”
I whistled, the shocking revelations making my head spin. I glanced at Emma, her face pale but resolute. In that moment, I was grateful for her strength and her unwavering presence. She was my anchor in this storm. I was glad I listened to her and left Marco out of our plans.
“We didn’t include Marco in our inner circle. Emma didn’t trust him, so we kept him in the dark,” I explained, my tone resolute.
“Good,” my father replied, his voice calm yet brimming with urgency. “Johannes will initiate me into the cult tomorrow in Somberg, at a hall called Luminus Maxim on Lee Street. The ceremony starts at eight in the evening. This is our chance, Luca. We have to hit them with full force. If we miss this opportunity, we may never get another.”
The weight of his words settled over me, but beneath the gravity of the situation, I felt a surge of hope. “Deigo will be there too,” he added, and my chest tightened with exhilaration. Finally, a tangible lead—a way forward. My father’s plan was falling into place, and I could feel the adrenaline building in my veins.
Before I could respond, my father’s tone shifted. It softened, almost pleading. “Luca, I need a favor from you,” he said, and I paused, wary of what he was about to ask. “Karolyn helped us on one condition, and I need you to honor it—for my sake.”