THE FUNERAL
“ D ear friends and family,” the priest began, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Serafina Moretti.”
I sat, rigid, my heart heavy and eyes locked on my mother’s black coffin, adorned with vibrant red roses. The sweet fragrance of the flowers felt like a cruel reminder of her absence, and of Gigi’s. A dark cloud of numbness hovered over me as the priest continued the eulogy.
After the trailer incident, we hadn’t managed to find any leads as to the Puppet Master’s whereabouts.
Frustration clawed at me, relentless and suffocating.
Because time was running out, sleep had become a luxury I could no longer afford, and with every passing moment, I felt the beast inside me gaining control, tearing away the last shred of my humanity.
The ache of not being able to hold my Angel was a slow cancer seeping through my body, threatening to consume me from the inside out.
Beside me, Emillia was trembling, her quiet sobs breaking my heart as she clutched Uncle Alessandro’s arm. On my other side sat Lo and Luca, their faces stricken with grief, while Matteo cradled Aurelio on his lap. Even little Aurelio’s hazel eyes were full of grief.
It felt wrong to hold the funeral without Mya, but we couldn’t postpone it any longer, especially with everything going on with the Puppet Master and Gigi missing. I wasn’t surprised when Mya firmly insisted that we proceed with the service in her absence.
My last memory of my mother was seared into my mind—including the sting of her slap as she rushed to the basement to save Gigi. She had always believed in Gigi and trusted in her. And now, because of my choices, my mother and Gigi were gone.
Despite how I felt, I hadn’t shed a single tear yet. It wasn’t that I didn’t miss my mother, because I did, with a depth that felt endless. But the tears refused to come. All that lingered within me was hatred and anger at myself, at the universe, and at everyone who had taken them from me.
“Let us carry her spirit with us, honoring her memory by living with the same love she shared,” the priest concluded.
As the music began to play softly, Lo, Luca, and I stood, ready to carry the casket down the aisle. But then the peaceful atmosphere shattered. Screeching tires and blaring horns pierced through the melody.
Uncles’s brow furrowed deeply, his eyes flickering toward the entrance. “What the hell is that?” he asked. The jarring noise of gunfire echoed outside, and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled.
Before anyone could react, the front doors of the funeral home burst open. A car crashed into the space, metal crumpling against metal with a sickening sound.
“Get down!” I shouted.
We hurled ourselves forward, and Matteo shoved Aurelio to the floor, shielding his small frame beneath his own body.
“Is everyone alright?” Luca shouted, his voice hoarse as he rose, coughing against the suffocating smoke.
“Uncle, get Emillia and Aurelio to safety. Now!” I barked.
“Don’t be a fucking hero,” he warned, the muscles in the jaw tensing.
“Go!” I insisted.
Emillia took Aurelio into her arms while my uncle ushered everyone away.
The group’s movements were frantic as they followed my uncle.
I turned, my eyes narrowing as Miguel and his men approached, their faces grim.
“What happened?” I spat out, pointing accusingly at the mangled wreckage blocking the front entrance.
“A surprise attack, boss,” Miguel answered, trying to catch his breath. “We tried to shoot the tires out, but it was too late.”
“Damn it!” I swore. “Let’s move.”
The smoke-filled air stung our lungs as we stormed our way down the path littered with debris, the distant wail of sirens indicating that someone had already contacted the police. The funeral home was in shambles, with broken glass and scattered flowers on the ground.
We kept our guns raised as we approached the entrance, and a figure emerged unsteadily.
“Don’t you fucking move!” I roared.
“Help... please,” the man begged. “They’ll kill them...”
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“He has my family,” he said as he sobbed.
“Who?”
Between sobs, he managed, “The Puppet Master.”
I stilled at his words. “What’s the message?”
“This is just the beginning.” Tears and snot streamed down his face. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened his jacket.
My eyes widened as he revealed a bomb strapped across his chest and a remote control clutched tightly in his shaky grip.
“Fuck,” Luca breathed.
“Take the shot!” Lo urged.
“I can’t,” I growled. “The trigger’s in his hand. If I kill him, he’ll lose the switch, and we’re all fucking dead.”
“We’re going to be dead if we keep standing here,” Luca muttered.
“Please,” the man pleaded, his eyes wide and frantic. “Save my family.”
Before I could direct my men on their next move, the bomb began to beep ominously.
“No!” the man screamed, terror etched on his face.
“RUN!” I barked. I turned and sprinted toward the back of the church with my men following.
The bomb detonated, a deafening roar that ripped through the building. The ground shook violently beneath our feet, and I was thrown forward, crashing against my mother’s coffin. The impact sent her body tumbling out.
“Nico!” Enzo’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, dragging my gaze upward. I was perched on the rear cab of the ambulance.
Enzo wasn’t alone.
“Nico,” Stone greeted me flatly.
“Stone,” I replied, my tone equally cool.
“What the hell happened?” Enzo’s eyes darted around, absorbing the devastation that surrounded us.
“What does it look like?” Matteo snapped. “Some crazy fucker decided to ram his car into the funeral home with a fucking bomb strapped to his chest!”
But all I could think about was the moment my mother’s cold body tumbled out of the casket, the horror forever scarred into my mind.
“Did you recognize the bomber?” Enzo pressed.
“No,” I replied.
“Did he say anything to you before he blew himself up?” Stone’s gaze was sharp, dissecting every flicker of emotion on my face.
A low chuckle escaped me, laced with bitterness. “Detective, there are always those who wish to send us messages. It’s part of the game.”
I didn’t trust this fucker as far as I could throw him. If they caught the Puppet Master, they’d just lock him up, which meant I wouldn’t get to Gigi in time. I had my own plans for justice.
Stone crossed his arms, his jaw tightening. “Do you think it’s a power play? A rival family trying to take you out?”
I held his gaze, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“Or perhaps a new player in the game,” Stone continued, his eyes narrowing.
His words sent a chill down my spine. The glint in his eye was unsettling, as if he already knew something he wasn’t telling me.
“I can’t help you if you can’t give me anything concrete.”
“I didn’t ask for your help, Stone,” I shot back.
“And if they succeed in killing you or your family?” he pressed, his expression darkening. “They already killed your mother.”
I felt the growl rise within me, but I swallowed it down and rose to my feet. Stone puffed out his chest, as if trying to assert dominance, but I couldn’t help but find it amusing.
“They won’t,” I replied, straightening my ruined suit. “In the end, I always come out on top. That’s the only way I know how to play.”
Stone stared at me, then shook his head and walked away toward the scene.
Enzo stepped closer, lowering his voice, “You think it’s the Puppet Master?”
“Yes. But the bomb detonated on its own before we could ask the bomber any questions.”
“This is so fucked. He’s attacking innocent people now in the daylight, for fuck’s sake.” Enzo blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair.
“Wait.” Enzo stopped mid-step. “You said the bomb went off on its own?”
I nodded.
“The Puppet Master rigged it in case the bomber didn’t go through with it,” Enzo said, almost as if he was talking to himself.
The fucker was calculated and even more of a twisted psychopath than we already knew. The fact that he had my girl had my nerves frayed and on high alert, like the sharp points of a razor.
“The bomber said the Puppet Master was holding his family hostage,” I remembered, scanning the area, half expecting one of the Puppet Master’s minions might ambush us.
Enzo nodded, his expression resolute. “Once the DNA is recovered, we’ll be able to identify him and look for his family.”
I didn't care at this point. All that mattered was catching the Puppet Master and getting rid of him permanently. His time was coming up, and he was going to regret fucking with the devil.