Chapter 7 - THE FATHER WHO HAD TO STOP BEING A WEAPON
Dante immediately stood.
“I’m going.”
“No.”
He turned.
“You’ve developed a concerning relationship with that word.”
“Good.”
“My son is there.”
“And Salvatore is counting on that making you stupid.”
His eyes flashed.
“I am not discussing this.”
“Then hear it without discussing.”
I stepped closer.
“You don’t go alone. You don’t kick down a door. You don’t give him the only evidence keeping Eli alive.”
“You think I need instructions on protecting my family?”
“Yes.”
That landed.
Hard.
I lowered my voice.
“You know how to protect an empire. You don’t know how to be his father yet.”
For one second I thought I had gone too far.
Then Dante looked away.
When he spoke, his voice was quieter.
“You’re right.”
Nobody in the room seemed prepared for that.
We worked with federal agents.
Dante hated it.
But he cooperated.
The meeting location was an abandoned Moretti warehouse in Brooklyn.
Dante entered wearing a transmitter.
No visible weapons.
Agents surrounded the area.
I stayed in the command vehicle with Orion.
For approximately six minutes.
Then Orion stood.
His ears sharpened.
He stared toward an alley behind the warehouse.
“What?”
He whined.
Then scratched violently at the door.
An agent grabbed his harness.
“Stay.”
Orion barked.
Once.
Urgent.
I looked through the glass.
A delivery van had parked in the alley.
The rear door opened.
A small boy jumped out.
Eli.
Running.
A man came after him.
Gun raised.
I opened the vehicle door.
Orion exploded past me.
“Eli!”
The boy turned.
The gunman grabbed for him.
Orion launched himself.
The gun fired.
The sound tore through the alley.
Orion collapsed.
“No!”
Agents rushed forward.
The gunman was restrained.
Eli stood frozen.
I dropped beside Orion.
Blood soaked the fur near his shoulder.
His eyes found mine.
His tail moved once.
“You ridiculous brave boy.”
Eli fell beside him.
“Orion!”
He knew him.
“Uncle Michael said Orion always finds good people.”
My heart broke.
Then Dante’s voice shouted from behind us.
“Eli!”
The child looked up.
Dante stopped ten feet away.
Everything became still.
Eli didn’t run toward him.
He moved closer to me.
Dante saw it.
Pain crossed his face.
He slowly crouched.
“Hi.”
“You’re my dad.”
Dante swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you come?”
The question cut deeper than any weapon.
Dante did not lie.
“I didn’t know where you were.”
“Salvatore said you didn’t want me.”
Dante’s face changed completely.
“No.”
His voice broke.
“I wanted you before I knew you were alive.”
Eli looked toward Orion.
“Can I stay with him?”
“Yes.”
No wounded pride.
No demand.
Just yes.
As veterinarians rushed Orion toward emergency surgery, agents dragged Salvatore from the warehouse.
He looked at Dante and laughed.
“You think Sofia would be proud?”
Dante froze.
Salvatore’s eyes shifted to me.
Then he smiled.
“She knew who killed Olivia’s father.”
May you like
My blood went cold.
“And it wasn’t me.”
