Chapter 25 - Maxim

I watch from the darkness as Chiara gracefully eases her way back into the party and ‘bumps’ into her father. She handles everything well, and her father does not seem to suspect anything.

“Come, it’s time,” he says to her, and I instantly know that something is wrong.

Chiara glances around the crowd, looking worried, but then follows her father.

I step back into the party once they are far enough away from me, and the first thing that I notice is that most of Angelo’s men are no longer here.

Only his two bodyguards remain, following him closely. Where are the rest of his men?

I hurry through the party, trying to find my brothers, whispering to them that something is going on and that they should be on high alert to figure out what it is.

Then I turn my attention back to Angelo and Chiara. My brothers will have to keep an eye on the party; I have to keep an eye on my wife.

From a distance, I see Angelo lean close to Chiara and whisper something in her ear. Her face tenses, just for a second. A look of nausea seems to flash across her eyes, and I swear the color drains from her cheeks. But then it is gone, and she plasters a smile across her beautiful lips, those dimples that I love so much stealing everyone’s admiration as she steps onto the patio step.

“Everyone, could I just have your attention for a moment?” she calls out, and behind her the music pauses. “I won’t take up too much of your time, I promise.” The sweet sound of her laughter is tainted with a nervous energy. “I know we are all here to celebrate our connections, and strengths. I just wanted to say a few words, that are important for everyone to hear.”

Someone hands her a microphone. “Thank you so much.” She smiles politely.

When she speaks into it, her voice carries more clearly to everyone listening. The entire party hushes into silence, and everyone turns towards her, waiting to hear what she has to say. My eyes dart from her to the sea of faces looking up at her.

I tell myself to breathe and trust her. I keep repeating it in my mind. She knows what she”s doing.

“There have been some difficult times lately. I know you”ve all felt the effects of them. But you still came out, and I am so grateful that everyone could still be here tonight, to be together, as we should be, and show our strength despite the constant challenges we have been facing. My father, Angelo Napoli, and I, would like to send out our love and support to the families of those who were lost in these senseless attacks.”

A murmur sweeps through the crowd.

“We need to stand together in times like these, and together we can face the people responsible. We can get through this and come out stronger on the other side of it. My father and I are here to support you, and we want to assure you that anyone who needs anything, anything at all, can feel free to come and talk to us. We are here for you. In the meantime, though, tonight is about the blue sky, and the red fires—”

My brow shoots up and I tilt my head toward her.

Blue sky. Red Fire.

Her speech continues, “The red fires of our hearts, as we unite in difficult times, and face the salted earth together.” Her eyes are locked onto me.

Salted earth.

She is doing everything she can to warn me. Angelo has planted explosives at this party. I have to find them, now.

She remembered the codewords I shared with her the first time I took her to my warehouse. I knew she would find a way to tell me what was going on.

My heart is shattering my insides as I try to decide the best way to keep everyone safe. What I have to do. What is about to happen. My mind is spinning wildly.

I start searching for my brothers. Before things get crazy, we have to find those bombs.

While Chiara keeps her father distracted with her speech, I manage to tell my brothers what”s going on, and that Angelo’s men are missing. They immediately jump to action, searching for Angelo’s missing people.

We quickly locate them, knowing the property better than anyone, and with each of his men, we find an explosive. They”ve been patiently waiting for his signal, the right moment to active each bomb.

Chiara is still talking to the crowd when I make my way back outside. Now all I have to do is get her somewhere safe.

“But, along with that, I wanted to share something else with you. If I could just ask you to listen to something important. Sorry, just give me a moment.” She sounds nervous.

Chiara pulls a knife out of her handbag. The crowd murmurs in confusion.

She clicks a small button on the side of the handle and holds the recording device up to the microphone.

Angelo’s voice carries across the open space, filling the silence and casting a look of horror on every single person’s face.

“They all believe it was the Dubrovs behind the bombings, because I made sure to leave some damned good evidence against them. And that stupid stepson of mine can go down with them. He might not know what he”s involved in, but it doesn’t matter. By the end of it, he”ll probably be dead, anyway.”

Chiara’s voice responds to Angelo’s. “I always thought you and Stefano were close, dad.”

“Only close enough to allow me to make him do and think what I wanted him to.”

“So what happens from now? Is there anything you need me to do?”

“What happens now is kind of like a grand finale. You know, every time I set off one of those bombs, I was just getting closer to fulfilling my plan for revenge against the Dubrovs. The entire family should pay the price for that man who stole my wife from me. And I will make sure it happens.”

“Didn’t you already get your revenge on Baranov?”

“I couldn’t kill Baranov, but I did kill my wife. Both wives, mind you.” The twisted chuckle that escapes Angelo when he comments on his wife’s murder’s has the crowd gasping. “And even though Baranov didn’t suffer like they did, his family will. So far, I think it’s going well.”

“I think so too, dad. You’ve created a brilliant plan. Tonight is going to be quite something to witness.”

“We’ve planted enough bombs to have our allies thinking it’s those bothers. And Stefano does, too, so he”ll probably do something stupid soon—maybe some revenge act of his own, who knows. I don’t care. At tonight’s party, it will be the final show. The bombs will go off, and so many people will have to turn to me for help afterwards. It”s the perfect plan. Everyone will think they arranged the party just to commit a mass murder of those who want to move against them. And the only reason people have lost trust in the Dubrovs is because I have been masterfully making them look guilty for everything.”

They all listen in horror as the recording, in Angelo’s own words, explains everything he has been doing and plans to do.

The crowd suddenly erupts in panic as the realization of everything he is saying sets in properly. “It was him all along.”

“He planted bombs here tonight.”

“Are we going to die?”

“We have to get out of here.”

“It was never the Dubrovs.”

People are running, pushing and fighting to get out of the party, and away from the imminent threat of Angelo’s bombs.

Chiara yells over the noise. “Maxim, find the bombs.”

I nod, knowing that my brothers are already doing exactly that, and most of them have already been found.

Someone knocks against Chiara, and I lose sight of her in the ocean of people pushing and shoving in panic.

I glance back and forth, desperate to locate her.

Across the mayhem of people, I spot her, trying to push her way towards me.

“Chiara,” I shout, moving quickly in her direction.

But before I can reach her, Angelo grabs her from behind and presses a gun to her temple. Just next to them a woman screams, and then all eyes are on Chiara again, this time with her father holding a gun to her head.

“Let her go,” I say loudly.

“If you move, she dies,” Angelo yells. “If anyone moves, she dies.”

Some people freeze in fear.

He is walking backwards, and the distance growing between Chiara and me is causing physical pain in my body.

I have to get to her. I have to help her.

Across the vast space between us, my eyes lock with Angelo’s, and the demonic grin that stains his lips twists my insides. He fires a shot into the air, and the crowd erupts in panic, running and pushing and screaming all over again. I see him tossing something onto the patio. It looks like an explosive device. He managed to activate one of them.

I lose sight of Chiara as Angelo pulls her with him.

“Max, we have to double-check the property and make sure it”s safe,” Kiril shouts.

“Get everyone out of here, Angelo just activated one of the bombs. It’s on the patio. I have to go after Chiara,” I shout back as people push past us.

Stefano arrives at my side. “I’m going with you.”

With one last glance at my brother, I turn to follow Stefano, shoving people aside as we move toward the front of the house where the cars are parked. My brothers will find a way to disarm the explosive. They still have all of Angelo’s men, and they were all trained to activate them, so they should know how to handle it.

We run out of the front door just in time to see Angelo’s car screeching away from the property and into the road.

“Here, I parked here,” Stefano yells as he pulls his door open, and I leap into the passenger seat.

He floors the gas and the tires skid, finally regaining traction as the car tears after Angelo’s.

“He’s too far ahead,” I yell, the sound of the engine loud and angry.

“He’s driving badly, he’s all over the road. He’s going to kill himself before we even catch him.”

“Fuck,” I shout, knowing that if he kills himself, he might kill Chiara, too. She”s in that car.

“Just get to him. We have to stop him.”

Stefano drives well, and we manage to catch up to him down a long open road that leads toward the city. There are no street lights, just big open fields on either side of us.

Ahead of us, we see Angelo’s driving becoming more erratic. The car swerves and skids across the lanes, and I hold my breath, struggling to remain calm.