My breath stops.
Adrian’s gaze moves from Vito to Nico, then to Lucia, then to me.
“They’re here for all of you.”
No one speaks.
The silence is brutal.
Adrian continues, voice hard. “They attacked tonight because somehow, they knew all four of you were here. They knew how to get onto the property undetected, take out our heads of security, and take the monitors and backup power source out. This wasn’t done on a whim, and it isn't just an attack. This is a full-scale assault. These people are here to wipe out as much of Luca Conti’s family line as they can in one go, and that’s exactly what they mean to do.”
Chapter Thirty One
Adrian
The room goes dead silent after I say it.
Every adult in the room understands me.
The children do not.
Thank God for that.
Charlotte’s lower lip starts to wobble anyway, because children do not need details to understand fear. They read it in the bodies around them.
Caterina looks at me like I have just ripped the floor out from beneath her.
I do not have time to soften it or coddle anyone right now. My people are out there, and they need me.
“Listen to me,” I say, keeping my voice low enough not to frighten the children more, hard enough that no one misses the command.
“This room is reinforced. The door is steel. The frame is anchored into concrete. Panels are rated. Supplies are in the cabinet on the right. Water, first aid, spare radio, flashlight. Keep trying the phones, and if you get through, call your father and get more of my people here for reinforcements. If the feeds come back, good. If they don’t, no one opens that door unless I, or Luca Conti himself, is standing on the other side of that door. Their goal isn’t to kill him. Not without maximum damage first.Youare that damage.”
I say the last few words quieter, hoping to spare the children.
Caterina’s eyes sharpen. “Adrian.”
“No.”
“You cannot just—”
“I can.” I look at her, and for one second, the room falls away.
“You’re injured.”
“I’m functional.”
“Barely.”
“I’m also wasting time while my people are out there,” I say sternly.
Her jaw tightens. Fear and fury warring within her.
Let her be angry. Anger will keep her upright.
“Going out there alone is suicide,” Teresa says.
“We don’t leave our people behind,” I say simply.
