Page 27 of Vows Made in Silence

Tires screech.

The gallery burns behind them, fading into smoke and ash in the rearview mirror.

But Luca can’t stop shaking.

Not from fear.

From fury.

He looks down.

Daniel’s safe.

Breathing.

Alive.

“Where’s your mother?” he asks.

Daniel looks up, voice small. “She… she said she was coming to get me. But the bad man—the one you shot—he took me from Ms. Betty. He said he was taking me to her. I didn’t know…”

Luca’s eyes go dark.

This wasn’t an ambush.

It was an extraction.

And Giuliana might not be as safe as he thought.

8

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Retribution Has a Name

A cold dread coils through Luca’s chest. He tightens his grip on Daniel, eyes narrowing.

They lied to him. They used his mother’s name—used her love as bait. Bastardi.

"It’s not your fault," Luca says, voice rough as he strokes the boy’s hair. "You did good. You stayed strong."

But inside, his mind is already spiraling, calculating.

Giuliana’s in more danger than ever.

"Turk," Luca growls into the comm, "Giuliana’s been compromised. They used her name to grab Daniel. We’re dealing with a coordinated hit—someone inside leaked her movements. I want a lockdown on all safehouses. Now."

Turk answers, voice tight. "Copy. Lockdown initiated. Teams on the move."

Luca glances down at Daniel again—his son, flesh and blood, still shaking in his arms.

"Where is she?" he asks softly, brushing hair from Daniel’s forehead. "Did the man say where he was taking you?"

Daniel sniffles, trying to be brave. "No… he just said... they wanted her. Said she wasn’t going to run anymore."

The words punch through Luca like a bullet. They’re making this personal. They’re making this about her.

"Turk," Luca barks again. "Find her. Every eye on the street, every camera we can tap. We find Giuliana, and we do it now."