Chapter 3 - Whispers of the Dead
The basement beneath the Moretti estate was an ancient stone vault built during Prohibition. It was cold, damp, and isolated from the rest of the mansion.
Clara Bell sat tied to a heavy wooden chair under a single bare lightbulb. The innocent, sweet nanny was gone; in her place was a hardened operative whose eyes burned with hatred.
Dante walked down the stone steps, the heavy heels of his leather shoes echoing against the walls. Vivienne walked right behind him. She had washed the blood from her hands and changed into a dark slate-gray sweater and trousers. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back into a tight braid.
Sal stood in the shadow of the cellar, holding a leather folder containing Clara’s true file.
"Her name isn't Clara Bell," Sal said, throwing the file onto a wooden table. "Her real name is Clara Vance. She’s the younger sister of Julian Vance—Everett Cross’s chief enforcer."
Dante didn't look at Clara. He pulled up a chair, turned it around, and sat down directly across from her, resting his forearms on the backrest.
"You were placed in Marco's house two years ago," Dante said coldly. "You were the one who gave the Northern Alliance the security codes to Marco’s vehicle."
Clara spat on the floor near Dante’s boots. "Marco was a fool. He thought he could buy peace with the Cross family. But Everett Cross doesn't want peace. He wants the entire Chicago network. Marco had to die, and so does his brat."
"Why now?" Vivienne asked, stepping out from the shadows into the harsh light. "Why poison Leo tonight?"
Clara laughed, a chilling, bitter sound. "Because you were here, doctor! Everett ordered me to kill the baby using a delayed nerve toxin and make it look like sudden infant death syndrome. Then I was supposed to drop a vial of the toxin in your room."
Vivienne’s eyes narrowed. "A frame-up."
"Of course!" Clara sneered. "Dante would have killed you in a blind rage. The Cross family would have declared war on the Morettis for murdering Everett's daughter. Both your empires would have destroyed each other in the crossfire, and Julian Vance would have stepped up to take control of everything!"
Dante leaned forward, his dark eyes void of all humanity. "Where is Julian Vance right now?"
Clara smiled wickedly. "He’s already in the city, Dante. And he isn't alone. You think you're safe inside this fortress? You don't even know who sold out your brother."
"I know it was you," Dante said.
"I planted the bomb," Clara whispered, leaning in as far as her ropes would allow. "But who do you think gave me the keys to the garage, Dante? It wasn't Everett Cross. It was someone in this very house. Someone who sits at your dinner table."
Sal shifted uncomfortably in the shadows. Dante’s expression didn't change, but his jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched beneath his skin.
"Take her to the safehouse in Indiana," Dante ordered Sal quietly. "Keep her alive. She will testify when I tear Everett Cross’s alliance to the ground."
"Yes, Boss," Sal replied, gesturing for two guards to untie the chair and haul Clara away.
As the heavy iron door of the cellar slammed shut, leaving Dante and Vivienne alone in the dim light of the hallway, Vivienne looked at him carefully.
"She’s trying to drive a wedge between you and your men," Vivienne said softly. "Paranoia is a dangerous weapon."
"In my line of work, paranoia is the only reason I’m still breathing," Dante replied. He turned to look at her, his dark eyes softening just a fraction. "You saved my nephew’s life tonight, Vivienne. You exposed the snake in my house. I owe you a debt."
"I don't want your debt, Dante. I want my life back. I want my medical license."
Dante stepped closer to her, invading her personal space until she could feel the heat radiating from his broad chest. "I can't give you your license back tonight. But I can give you something better."
"What?"
"Justice," Dante said smoothly, touching her jawline with the tips of his fingers. "The doctor who framed you at Ashbury Medical Center? The board members who destroyed your career? They are all on Everett Cross’s payroll. I checked your file the day you arrived."
Vivienne’s breath caught in her throat. "You knew?"
"I know everything about the people who enter my house," Dante murmured. "I knew you were innocent before you ever crossed my threshold. I just needed to know if you had the spine to survive in my world."
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"And now?"
Dante’s thumb trailed down to her lower lip, his gaze dropping for a brief, electric second before meeting her eyes again. "Now I know you belong at my side. Not as a hostage. Not as a pawn. As my partner."
