Chapter 5: The Velvet Trap
“So what do you want from me?” I asked, pulling my cardigan tight.
“I want to find him before Petrov does,” Alessio said. “And you are going to help me.”
“How? He doesn’t answer my calls!”
Alessio’s gaze drifted down the dark hallway toward Emma’s room. “Because you possess the one piece of leverage he actually cares about. His child.”
I stood up so fast the chair scraped loudly against the floor. Pure, blinding fury momentarily overtook my paralyzing fear.
“You will not use my daughter as bait,” I snarled, stepping into his personal space.
In one fluid, lightning-fast motion, Alessio rose to meet me. His immense height forced me to tilt my head back, but I refused to break eye contact.
“I am offering you my protection, Sophia. Because believe me, when the Russian mob finds him, they will take Emma just to draw him out. Their methods of persuasion involve power tools and fire. Mine involve a conversation.”
The heavy silence in the room was suffocating. I had watched enough news to know he wasn’t exaggerating.
“What exactly are you proposing?” I whispered, my voice finally breaking.
“You and Emma come with me tonight. Right now,” Alessio commanded softly. “I move you to a secure estate. Tomorrow, you contact Michael. You tell him Emma is hospitalized. You tell him whatever lie works. But you get him to a meeting point.”
“And if I refuse?”
Alessio’s expression turned to stone.
“Then I walk out that door. I take my men with me. And I leave you alone to wait for the Russians.”
My eyes darted to the window. The black SUVs idling in the rain no longer looked like an invasion. They looked like a fortress.
“I need to think,” I panicked, gripping my hair.
“You have five minutes,” Alessio checked his expensive watch. “Pack whatever you and Emma need for three days. Bring the unicorn nightlight.”
Before I could process how he knew about the nightlight, a soft, whimpering cry echoed from the back bedroom.
“Mommy?”
Alessio stepped back, granting me space. “Go to her. But remember, Sophia. This isn’t just about your deadbeat ex anymore. This is about keeping your little girl alive.”
