“I spoke with the professor’s secretary, and she has no clue how someone could have slipped that into Serena’s assignment envelope,” Edoardo adds. “They were on the professor’s desk overnight, and there was no evidence of a break-in. Professor Lane took them straight from her locked office to the lecture hall the following evening where they were distributed.”
“Another dead end,” Leo says, frowning. “What are we missing?”
“I don’t know, and we won’t figure it out standing around here. Let’s get home,” Ben says, and we head out to the two waiting helicopters.
* * *
“I have been thinking,” Serena says later that night after the kids are in bed and we are all in the living room, discussing the note she received. “What if it wasn’t DeLuca who left it for me? What if it was one of Alfredo’s buddies? The anniversary of his death is in a few days. I’m not sure the timing isn’t a coincidence.”
“Why threaten you now if it isn’t DeLuca?” Ben asks.
She shrugs, snuggling in closer to my side. “I don’t know, and I’m sure it probably is DeLuca. It was my initial thought, but I don’t think we can rule anything out.”
“It could—” My words are cut off when blaring sirens blast across the house, and the sound of approaching footfalls coincides with the ringing of Ben’s cell.
“Get down,” Ben shouts, pushing Sierra to the floor and sheltering her behind the couch as Leo and I do the same with Natalia and Rena. We pull out our guns and swing into action. I jump over the back of the couch to the window and yank back the curtains, scanning the rear of the property for any signs of intruders while Leo and Ben race to the door, hiding on either side of it with their guns raised. “What?” Ben hisses, and I whip my head around, glancing at the boss as he answers his cell.
Three signature raps pound on the door, but Leo doesn’t lower his weapon or drop his guard as he asks whoever it is to identify themselves.
“It’s Ciro! Boss, we have visitors approaching the main gate,” he shouts through the door.
Ben yanks the door open, almost lifting it from its hinges. “How many?”
“Two armored vehicles, boss,” Ciro says. “Brando has every man on the job, doubling the guards around the perimeter and at the gates. Whoever they are, they’re not getting past us.” After the explosion in Chicago, Ben transferred Brando to the security detail at the house. He put him in charge, while he relocated the capo who usually holds the job to the city, to caretake Brando’s crew. The boss is taking no chances with his family, ensuring only the best of the best is guarding them.
“Go with Alesso,” Ben says to Ciro. “Take the women and get the kids and escort them to the panic room. Stay there with them, and don’t open the door for anyone but us.”
I’m already across the room, helping Sierra to her feet first and then Rena and Nat, while Leo is on his cell, calling Nario and Fabrizio who are watching over the kids. He is barking instructions at them as I usher the women from the room.
“I hope you have stocked up on wine in the panic room,” Natalia semi-jokes, as we race along the hallway. Ciro and I are on the left with our bodies facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, shielding the girls as best we can. As we speed walk, I scan the landscape outside, watching for threats. All the floodlights are on full power, and there is no way anyone could sneak up on us undetected.
To avoid a repeat of what happened last year, when the house was attacked and everyone was gassed, Ben had a detection system embedded in the air-conditioning and heating units and all the vents. None of them are sounding alarm bells, so it’s safe to say we’re not being poisoned.
“And chocolate,” Sierra adds. “For me, not the kids. I can’t fucking believe we are under siege again.” She is spitting fire, and I fear anyone who crosses her path.
“We have weapons there too, right?” Rena asks. “Because I’m in the mood to shoot some assholes.”
If we weren’t running to safety, I would kiss the shit out of my woman right now.
All of a sudden, the alarms go quiet, and my cell vibrates in my pocket. Ciro and I slam to a halt, and I urge the girls to stop with my eyes. I answer Ben’s call immediately. “We’re not under attack,” he says. “Or at least, not yet,” he murmurs.
“What’s going on?”
“Fucking Saverio,” Ben hisses.
“What?” All the blood drains from my face.
“He’s here with Anais and an entourage.”
31
ALESSO
If looks could kill, Anais Salerno would be ten feet under because Sierra is not holding back in her disdain for the now eighteen-year-old. She is glaring at her like she’s the devil in female form. Not that I blame Ben’s wife. Anais has had this coming. Couple that with Saverio showing up here unannounced, causing panic and mayhem and forcing the sleeping kids out of bed, and Sierra is ready to spill blood.
“Hey, cuz.” Anais slinks to my side, looping her arm through mine uninvited. “I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t have sex that time, huh?” She waggles her brows and bats her eyelashes while blatantly flirting with me.
“It was never going to happen. I told you I was in love, and I meant it.” I attempt to extract her arm from mine, but she holds on tight, refusing to let me go.
