Chapter 10 - Blood Is Not Loyalty
Carlo applauded once.
“Finally.”
Matteo moved in front of June.
Carlo smiled.
“Always protecting someone.”
His gaze shifted to Caterina.
“You should have kept quiet, Mama.”
Caterina looked at her son with disgust.
“I should have stopped you twenty years ago.”
“Yes.”
Carlo shrugged.
“But you needed me then.”
“No.”
“You needed what I did.”
“That is not the same thing.”
Carlo laughed.
“It is exactly the same thing.”
June watched his men spread across the church.
Every exit was covered.
Mrs. Kaplan and Margaret lowered their weapons slightly.
Outnumbered.
Matteo’s security team waited outside because Carlo had threatened to kill Caterina if anyone entered beyond the agreed group.
Now the trap was clear.
Carlo never intended an exchange.
He wanted everyone tied to the evidence in one room.
June’s pulse hammered.
Carlo looked at her.
“The clerk.”
June said nothing.
“You created unnecessary trouble.”
“I get that a lot.”
Matteo whispered, “June.”
A warning.
Carlo smiled.
“That mouth. I understand why Matteo likes you.”
“This marriage is contractual.”
Carlo glanced at Matteo.
“Is it?”
Matteo’s silence answered too much.
June felt heat rise despite the danger.
Not now.
Carlo approached the bag.
“Evidence.”
Matteo said, “Release Caterina first.”
“No.”
“Then you get nothing.”
Carlo pointed his gun toward June.
“I get leverage.”
Matteo moved.
Every weapon rose.
June grabbed his sleeve.
“Don’t.”
Carlo smiled again.
“There. She understands.”
June looked at him.
“You killed Anthony.”
Carlo’s smile disappeared.
“Yes.”
Matteo’s breathing changed.
June tightened her grip on his sleeve.
Carlo continued deliberately.
“He found religion late in life. Suddenly bribery offended him. Suddenly secret accounts troubled his conscience.”
“You murdered your brother.”
“He chose outsiders over blood.”
“Elena?”
Carlo tilted his head.
“She was unfortunate.”
Matteo surged forward.
June held him.
Barely.
Carlo’s men raised weapons.
Caterina shouted, “Matteo!”
He stopped.
Carlo looked pleased.
“I did not personally kill Elena. One of my people tampered with her car.”
Matteo’s face became something June never wanted to see again.
Murder lived there.
Not metaphorically.
If given one opening, Matteo would kill Carlo.
June stepped between them.
Matteo looked at her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“June.”
“Not like this.”
“He killed her.”
“I know.”
“He killed my father.”
“I know.”
“Move.”
“No.”
Her voice broke.
That stopped him more effectively than force.
June lowered her voice.
“If you kill him now, he wins.”
Matteo stared.
“He makes you exactly what everyone already believes you are.”
His jaw clenched.
“He deserves it.”
“Yes.”
June’s eyes burned.
“But Elena left evidence, not a bullet.”
Silence.
Matteo understood.
Slowly, painfully, he stepped back.
Carlo’s expression soured.
“Touching.”
June looked at him.
“You’re also recorded.”
Carlo froze.
June had guessed.
But Margaret’s eyes flickered.
Enough.
June continued.
“You think two courthouse women and a cleaning woman spent years building an evidence chain without recording tonight?”
Carlo pointed the gun at Margaret.
“Where?”
Margaret smiled.
That was answer enough.
Carlo fired.
The shot exploded through the church.
Margaret fell.
Everything erupted.
Matteo dragged June behind a stone column.
Mrs. Kaplan overturned Caterina’s chair.
Carlo’s men fired toward the altar.
Outside, Matteo’s security breached the doors.
Glass shattered.
Men shouted.
June covered her head.
Matteo fired twice.
Controlled.
Then a bullet struck the stone beside them.
“Stay down!”
He moved toward Caterina.
June saw Carlo disappear through a side door.
“Matteo!”
He turned.
“Carlo!”
Matteo followed.
June cursed and followed Matteo.
The side corridor led into the abandoned rectory.
Carlo ran upstairs.
Matteo was faster.
At the landing, Carlo fired.
Matteo dropped.
June screamed.
He had been hit.
Shoulder.
Blood spread across his black jacket.
Carlo reached the second floor.
June grabbed Matteo.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I noticed.”
He pushed up.
They continued.
Carlo reached an old office.
No exit.
He turned.
Gun raised.
Matteo aimed.
Both men stood facing each other.
June remained behind the doorframe.
Carlo laughed breathlessly.
“Do it.”
Matteo’s finger tightened.
“Matteo,” June whispered.
Carlo smiled.
“She owns you already.”
Matteo’s gaze flickered toward June.
That half-second saved Carlo.
He fired.
June moved without thinking.
She shoved Matteo.
The bullet struck the wall.
Matteo fired back.
Carlo’s gun flew from his hand.
A bullet had torn through his wrist.
He screamed.
Security arrived.
Carlo was restrained.
Alive.
Matteo leaned against the wall.
June rushed to him.
“Hospital.”
“I’m fine.”
“You say that while leaking blood.”
His hand touched her cheek.
Unexpected.
Gentle.
“You followed me.”
“You got shot.”
“I told you to stay beside me.”
She laughed despite herself.
“I technically did.”
For one impossible second, amid sirens and dust and blood, Matteo smiled.
Then he kissed her.
Not planned.
Not contractual.
Not careful.
His hand remained against her cheek.
June froze.
Then kissed him back.
Only for a heartbeat.
Then reality returned.
They separated.
Matteo looked almost shocked.
June certainly was.
“This is still fake,” she whispered.
He looked at her mouth.
“That is becoming inconvenient.”
Before she could answer, Daniel appeared at the stairwell.
“Matteo.”
“What?”
“Carlo wasn’t Saint.”
Everyone stopped.
Daniel held Carlo’s phone.
June’s stomach dropped.
“There are messages,” he said.
“Instructions.”
Matteo stared.
“From whom?”
May you like
Daniel swallowed.
“Someone Carlo called Father.”
