Chapter 8 - THE FRAME JOB
“You’re under arrest for the kidnapping of Claire Dawson!”
I froze.
Kidnapping?
Luca didn’t panic. He slowly raised his hands, keeping his body positioned between the guns and Matteo.
“Officers,” Luca said calmly. “There’s a misunderstanding. She is my employee. She is here voluntarily.”
“Shut up!” the lead officer barked, moving forward with handcuffs. “We got an anonymous 911 call. A woman reported that you held a maid at gunpoint, dragged her into your vehicle, and fled your own engagement party.”
Vanessa.
She had called the cops.
She couldn’t kill us in the alley, so she was using the police to get Luca out of the way. If Luca went to jail, Matteo would be placed in child services, and I would be left completely unprotected.
“I’m Claire Dawson!” I stepped out from behind Luca, waving my uninjured hand. “He didn’t kidnap me! We came here to find his son!”
The cop sneered, looking at my burned, bandaged hand. “Looks like he forced you to me, ma’am. Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”
“You’re not listening to me!” I argued.
The officer grabbed Luca roughly, spinning him around and slamming him against the hood of the SUV.
“Dad!” Matteo screamed, crying hysterically.
“Matteo, don’t move!” Luca ordered, his cheek pressed against the cold metal. “Claire, call Marco. Get the lawyer.”
“He’s not making any calls,” the cop grunted, clicking the cuffs tight around Luca’s wrists.
He turned to another officer. “Put the kid in the cruiser. Call CPS. And take the woman to the precinct for her statement.”
“No!” Matteo thrashed as an officer grabbed his arm. He dropped the wooden box on the pavement.
“Leave him alone!” I yelled, shoving the officer away from Matteo.
“Ma’am, back off or I’ll arrest you for assaulting an officer!”
I grabbed Matteo and pulled him tight against me.
I looked at the lead cop’s badge.
Then, I looked at his wrists.
Poking out from beneath his blue uniform sleeve was a thick, gold chain bracelet.
I recognized it.
It was the exact same gaudy gold bracelet Dominic Bellini was wearing ten minutes ago.
These weren’t real cops. Or if they were, they were on the Bellini payroll.
“Where are you really taking us?” I asked, my voice deadly quiet.
The lead officer smiled—a cold, terrifying smile.
“To a safe place, Miss Dawson.”
He reached out to grab me.
Suddenly, a screech of tires echoed through the street.
Three black Escalades smashed through the alley entrance, boxing the police cruisers in completely.
The doors flew open.
Marco and a dozen of Luca’s heavily armed men stepped out.
The fake cops froze.
Marco walked slowly toward the lead officer, a pump-action shotgun resting casually over his shoulder.
“Officer,” Marco smiled. “Looks like you’re out of your jurisdiction. And outgunned.”
The cop swallowed hard, his hand hovering over his holster. “You interfere with a police arrest, Marco, and you’re all going down.”
“He’s not a cop, Marco!” I shouted. “He works for Bellini!”
Marco’s eyes narrowed.
He leveled the shotgun at the officer’s chest.
“Take the cuffs off my boss. Now.”
The officer hesitated.
Marco cocked the shotgun. The sound echoed like a cannon in the quiet street.
Slowly, the man reached for his keys and unlocked Luca’s cuffs.
Luca rubbed his wrists.
He didn’t punch the cop. He didn’t yell.
He just reached into the man’s pocket and pulled out his radio.
“Tell Vanessa it didn’t work,” Luca said quietly.
May you like
Then Luca turned to me.
“Claire. It’s time to open the safety deposit box. We end this tonight.”
