Chapter 30 #3
The clip switches to the warehouse, yellow caution tape around it, men and women with badges now walking inside it.
“Some of the faces you’ll see in these photos,” the newscaster continues, “are people you’ll recognize.
They’re your favorite quarterback.” A photo of a football player flashes on the screen, a household name, a little girl we know to be no more than ten on his lap, her face blacked out by us, body blurred.
“Your favorite talk show host.” Another photo slides down, this time a man has a woman in a chokehold, a whip in his hand.
“The people involved have been wanted by law enforcement for decades, but they’ve finally been caught in one of the biggest victories of our time.
The FBI has arrested over three dozen people who had a hand in this awful tragedy.
” The video cuts back to the newscaster.
“Many of the children were taken from families who owed a debt to the Palermos and have since been reunited by the tireless efforts of both the police and the FBI.”
We managed to reunite Serena and the rest of the people we found the day we found Robby with the help from the authorities too.
“I’m glad it’s finally over.” Jade sighs, rubbing away the tears tumbling down her cheeks. She smiles with sadness seeping from her eyes, but relief, it’s woven within them too. I can see it.
And every day, I’ll fight like hell to find the pieces of her they tore away and build them back up again. I may never be able to undo what’s been done, but I can make it so that she no longer lives it. Her life, our life, it’ll be beautiful.
“Do you think I could play your piano?” she asks sweetly, those eyes cast with a glimmer.
“You play?”
“I used to.” Her face falls. “My mom loved to hear me play.”
“She was amazing,” Elliot adds, coming toward us. “Mom was sure you’d be accepted to Juilliard. She was saving money for you to go.”
“What?” Her gaze overflows with tears. “But she knew I was going to eventually go to medical school.”
“Yeah, but she knew you were doing that for her. She told me years later that when you came back from your trip, she was going to talk you into applying so you could follow your passion, instead of doing what you thought was right.”
“Oh, Mama.” She lets out a cry.
“She loved you so much, Jade. I’m sorry you lost all these years with us.”
“Me too.” She looks up at him, tears swimming down like a heavy stream.
“Wait, I’m sorry to interrupt this beautiful moment,” Chiara bursts out. “But who the hell is Jade?”
That gets Joelle—Jade laughing. Fuck, even I’ll need time to get used to it.
“That’s my real name,” she explains.
“Damn.” Chiara considers it contemplatively. “I like it.”
“So, you gonna play us something?” I ask, giving her my hand as she rises.
“As long as my fingers still work.”
“I’m sure you’re even better than I can imagine.”
I lead her to the music room, with the rest following behind us. “Our mother loved to play too,” I explain. “I had purchased it in honor of her.”
“My God, could you be a little less perfect?” she teases just as we enter the room, biting into the edge of her bottom lip while facing me.
“I do kill people.”
“I’m willing to overlook that.” She shrugs with a smile twining up her lips, and it hits my heart like an avalanche of emotions.
“Damn, woman…” My palm rests over the side of her neck. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Enzo.” With a soft sigh, she moves to sit on the bench, opening the grand piano. She hesitates at first, her fingers trembling for a moment before they hit the keys, and then, she plays.
And once she does, once that music washes over us, the magnitude of her talent is more than I can even comprehend.
Moving back, I stand beside my brothers, who look just as taken aback as I do.
“She’s fucking amazing,” Dante whispers.
“I know.”
She plays like she’s never forgotten a beat, the music permeating the very essence of who she is, her eyelids swinging to a close, her head, her body swaying to the melody I’ve never heard before. I could watch her play every damn day, even if it’s the same song every time.
“Sir,” one of my men calls from behind. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I thought you’d want to see this.”
“What is it?” I ask Stan.
“We found Matteo on one of our security cams,” Stan tosses calmly. “Plus some traffic cams we hacked, and we think we can track him to wherever he went.”
“Show me,” Dom throws tensely. “I wanna see him.”
Stan quickly removes his cell and fires up the video, pressing play. Thankfully, we installed our own cameras around the perimeter of the warehouse.
We see Agnelo still in Matteo’s grip as he drags him into a white van. Before he enters the driver’s seat, his hand on the door handle, he stops, his eyes transfixed to the exact same spot the camera’s hiding, as though staring right at us.
“Fuck,” Dom roars in a whisper. “We’re gonna go after him.”
It must be hard to know Matteo never died. Knowing Dom, he’s holding himself responsible. But how the hell could he have known?
Hitting pause, we meet the eyes of our brother, a man who’s now a stranger. I hope we get the chance to see him, to know him, to finally be a family like my parents would’ve wanted.
But what if he wants nothing to do with us? What if we found him, only to lose him for good?
What happened to Matteo and Aida? Will he re-unite with his brothers? CLICK HERE to find out!
Want another series to binge on? Check out FRAGILE SCARS! Book 1 in a standalone interconnected series.