Chapter 6 - A Dangerous Game
The failed assault on the estate forced Julian's hand. The Morettis had gone too far, breaking the unwritten law of the city's underworld by launching an open attack on a Don's residence.
"They're desperate," Julian explained two days later in his study, where the bullet holes had already been patched and painted over. "The drive David hid contains enough evidence to put the entire Moretti leadership in federal prison for life. They know if I find it first, they're finished."
"Where is the drive, Julian?" I asked, sitting across from him. "David never told me about any drive."
Julian leaned back, watching me intently. "He didn't give you a USB drive, Maya. He hid the encrypted chip inside something you carry with you every single day. Something nobody would ever suspect."
I frowned, thinking through the few possessions I had brought from our old apartment. "I don't have anything valuable. Just my clothes, David's old watch, and..."
My jaw dropped. I looked down at the diaper bag sitting near the sofa.
Julian nodded slowly. "The rattle. The small yellow rattle."
I jumped up, rushed to the bag, and pulled out Ellie’s favorite toy. I shook it; the light plastic beads clinked inside just like they always had. But upon closer inspection near the base, I saw a microscopic seam sealed with clear resin.
"David made it himself," I whispered, tears welling up. "He spent hours in the garage working on it before Ellie was born. I thought he was just making a baby toy."
"That little toy holds the key to bringing down the biggest criminal syndicate in the state," Julian said, standing up and walking over to me. "Which is why we're going to use it to set a trap."
"A trap?"
"Tomorrow night is the annual Syndicate Charity Gala at the Grand Horizon Hotel," Julian explained, taking the rattle gently from my hands. "Every major boss in the tri-state area will be there, including Vincent Moretti. I am going to publicly announce that I possess the drive."
"He'll try to kill you on the spot!"
"He'll try," Julian agreed, his gaze darkening with lethal promise. "Which is why you need to be there beside me—not as my house manager, but as my fiancee. We need Vincent to believe we are completely off-guard, celebrating our victory."
I stared at him, my heart doing a strange fluttering flip. "As your fiancee?"
May you like
Julian stepped closer, his fingers gently brushing against my jawline. "It's the only way to keep you right by my side where I can protect you. Can you play the part, Maya?"
Looking into his piercing blue eyes, I realized I wouldn't be playing a part at all.
