Chapter 7 - Lorenzo Moretti Walked Into the Church Unarmed—But His Wife Had Already Started the WarAt 11:52 p.m., snow fell over St. Augustine church.
The building had been abandoned for eleven years.
Its stained-glass windows were broken.
Its bell tower leaned slightly toward the street.
Lorenzo arrived alone.
At least, he appeared alone.
He wore a black coat.
No visible weapon.
Gabriel’s men searched him at the entrance.
“Clean.”
Lorenzo entered.
Candles burned along the aisle.
Gabriel stood near the altar.
Toby was tied to a chair.
Sophie stood beside him.
A bruise darkened her cheek.
When Lorenzo saw it, something murderous entered his eyes.
Sophie gave the smallest shake of her head.
Not yet.
Isabella was not with him.
Gabriel noticed.
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“I told you to bring her.”
“You told me many things.”
Gabriel smiled.
“You always were Mateo’s son.”
“And you were always jealous of him.”
The smile disappeared.
Lorenzo stepped farther inside.
“My father had the family.”
Another step.
“The respect.”
Another.
“The loyalty.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“And you?”
Lorenzo stopped.
“You had fear.”
Sophie understood what Lorenzo was doing.
Keeping Gabriel talking.
Buying time.
For what?
Then she remembered the warehouse.
Before Gabriel moved them to the church, Sophie had sabotaged the fire suppression valve using a metal clip from the medical supplies.
When one of Gabriel’s men discovered water flooding part of the warehouse, chaos followed.
During that chaos, Toby had stolen a guard’s phone.
He had managed to send one message.
SILAS — CHURCH MIDNIGHT.
The message delivered before the guard noticed.
Now Sophie waited.
Gabriel raised his pistol.
“You think love made your father strong.”
“No.”
Lorenzo looked at Sophie.
“I think love gave him something worth becoming strong for.”
Sophie’s eyes burned.
Gabriel laughed.
“Poetry.”
He pointed toward Toby.
“Bring the boy.”
Anthony dragged Toby forward.
Lorenzo watched his cousin.
“You still have time.”
Anthony looked away.
“To do what?”
“To remember who you are.”
Gabriel scoffed.
“He knows exactly who he is.”
Lorenzo continued staring at Anthony.
“You held Isabella’s hand at your mother’s funeral.”
Anthony’s face tightened.
“You taught Toby to throw a baseball.”
Silence.
“You drank at my wedding.”
Gabriel became impatient.
“Enough.”
But Lorenzo continued.
“If you want money, take money.”
He stepped closer.
“If you want power, take power.”
His voice lowered.
“But if you let him murder Sophie and Toby, you will spend the rest of your life knowing exactly what you became.”
Anthony’s grip on Toby loosened.
Gabriel saw it.
“You weak little—”
Sophie moved.
She slammed her elbow into the guard beside her.
Anthony shoved Toby toward Lorenzo.
Gunfire erupted.
Lorenzo pulled Toby behind a stone column.
Sophie dropped.
Gabriel fired.
The bullet struck the altar.
Then every remaining stained-glass window exploded inward.
Silas’s team entered from three sides.
“DOWN!”
Automatic weapons filled the church.
Gabriel ran toward a side door.
Sophie saw him.
“Lorenzo!”
Lorenzo followed.
Gabriel climbed the stairs toward the bell tower.
Lorenzo pursued.
Sophie ran after them.
“Sophie!”
Silas shouted.
She ignored him.
The bell tower stairs were narrow and rotten.
Gabriel reached the top.
Wind tore through broken windows.
Chicago lights glittered in the distance.
Lorenzo entered.
Gabriel aimed at him.
“Your father begged.”
Lorenzo stopped.
Gabriel smiled.
“He begged me not to hurt you.”
Something in Lorenzo’s face changed.
Gabriel continued.
“He knew what was coming.”
“You planted the bomb.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to give everything away.”
Gabriel laughed.
“He wanted legitimacy. He wanted his sons to become businessmen.”
“Son.”
Gabriel frowned.
Lorenzo’s voice became quiet.
“I was his only son.”
For some reason, Gabriel smiled.
“No.”
The word seemed to alter the air.
Lorenzo stared.
Gabriel reached inside his coat.
Not for a weapon.
For a photograph.
He threw it onto the floor.
Lorenzo looked down.
Mateo stood beside another woman.
She held a baby.
On the back was a date.
One year after Lorenzo’s birth.
“Your father had another son.”
Gabriel smiled.
“Your brother is alive.”
Lorenzo did not move.
“Where?”
“Closer than you think.”
A floorboard creaked.
Sophie had reached the tower.
Gabriel immediately turned his gun toward her.
Lorenzo attacked.
The weapon fired.
Sophie screamed.
The bullet struck stone.
Lorenzo and Gabriel crashed into the bell railing.
Gabriel was older.
Lorenzo was stronger.
But Gabriel fought with desperation.
He drew a knife.
The blade cut Lorenzo’s arm.
Sophie grabbed a broken piece of wood.
Gabriel saw her.
“Stay back!”
He pressed the knife against Lorenzo.
Sophie froze.
Gabriel smiled.
“Look at you.”
His breathing was ragged.
“The maid who became a queen.”
“No.”
Sophie tightened her grip.
“I’m still the maid.”
Gabriel frowned.
Sophie swung the wood.
It struck the bell rope mechanism.
The massive church bell moved.
The sound exploded through the tower.
Gabriel flinched.
Lorenzo drove into him.
The knife fell.
Gabriel stumbled backward.
The rotten railing broke.
For one second, Lorenzo caught his wrist.
Gabriel hung above the church floor several stories below.
Sophie reached them.
Gabriel looked up.
“You need me.”
Lorenzo’s grip tightened.
“You want to know who your brother is.”
Lorenzo stared at him.
Gabriel smiled.
“If I die, you’ll never know.”
Lorenzo pulled him upward.
Sophie understood.
Not mercy.
Information.
Silas arrived and handcuffed Gabriel.
For the first time in twenty-two years, Gabriel Moretti was truly captured.
Downstairs, Toby hugged Sophie.
Anthony sat against a column.
He had been shot in the shoulder.
He had saved Toby.
Lorenzo approached him.
Anthony looked up.
“I’m sorry.”
Lorenzo said nothing.
“I owed Gabriel money.”
Anthony swallowed.
“Gambling. Millions.”
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Because I was ashamed.”
Lorenzo looked at him.
“And now?”
Anthony looked toward Sophie and Toby.
“Now I’m worse than ashamed.”
Lorenzo walked away.
Some betrayals could not be repaired in one night.
Perhaps ever.
At dawn, Sophie and Lorenzo returned home.
Isabella waited at the entrance.
She touched the cut on Lorenzo’s arm.
“My baby.”
“I’m fine, Mama.”
Then she hugged Sophie.
“My brave girl.”
Sophie closed her eyes.
For several seconds, they simply held one another.
Then Lorenzo remembered Gabriel’s photograph.
His brother.
Somewhere in Chicago, another son of Mateo Moretti was alive.
May you like
And Gabriel had said he was close.
Very close.
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