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That's my first priority, shielding Natalia long enough to sort through this viper's nest Father's madness has stirred up. Cut her loose before she gets strangled too in these twisted webs full of lies and betrayals.
She deserved the chance to spread her wings and fly high above these compound walls. I could not cage her wild heart, no matter what Father demanded in the name of protection.
So I would bear Father's fury and hatred in her stead, as long as Natalia remained far away, untouched by the ugliness festering here. Her safety had to come first, before all else.
I just prayed wherever Natalia was staying out of trouble. She deserves more than brooding in gilded cages. Natalia's too bold and vibrant a spirit for all that. She needs open skies and room to spread her wings. I gotta make Father understand that too, someday.
But first we gotta survive this crisis in one piece. I'll find Natalia soon, get her side of things. There's still bright days ahead for us. Just gotta steer clear of the storm clouds gathering until it passes. We'll get through this the way we always have - together.
I won't fail her again. Blood binds us, but more than that, I love my sister beyond measure.
CHAPTER 14
SNAKE PIT
Leonardo's POV:
I sat parked down the block from the Moretti estate, engine idling as I watched the front gates for any unusual activity. It had been four days since I’d left Natalia safely with her friend Ashley, but there was still frustratingly little information to be foundabout the incident that had sent her brother fleeing with her in the night.
My fingers drummed restlessly on the steering wheel as I recalled the panic in Natalia's voice on that cracked phone call, saying her family was under attack. Even with her hidden away now, my gut churned imagining what threats could have erupted so violently. Natalia deserved answers. I hated coming up empty-handed again, leaving her in torturous uncertainty.
With an irritated sigh, I grabbed the Moretti dossier off the passenger seat and flipped through it again. I'd memorized every page already - details of their business fronts, legitimate and otherwise. Their organization's hierarchy, allies and enemies. But none of it shed light on what would make their own son and heir rush his sister to safety without explanation.
Scowling, I tossed the useless paperwork into the backseat. Something ugly was festering under the surface here, but none of my usual contacts had turned up any concrete leads yet. Everyone was spooked into lockdown mode, not talking. I needed to keep digging, applying more pressure, until the truth surfaced. Natalia was counting on me.
Restless, I pulled away from the estate down the tree-lined residential street as dusk fell. Tonight I'd call in a few favors around town, see what shaking the right trees uncovered. Someone always knew more than they let on in this business. I just had to find the right leverage.
Elio's Restaurant downtown was lively with patrons when I strode inside, scanning for my meeting. Rounding the bar, I spotted Vik in his usual back corner booth already halfway through a generous dish of cannoli. He started violently when I slid in across from him.
"Easy there," I said smoothly as Vik choked down his bite and gulped his drink. "Just looking to chat, friend."
Vik eyed me warily as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "Yeah well, your chats make people jumpy. What do you want, Delacruz?"
Before answering, I signaled the waiter to bring me a drink. No need to strong arm Vik just yet. He tended to open up when comfortable and flattered. I just needed to get a feel for how much he really knew about the Moretti situation. For Natalia's sake, this was personal for me.
"I'm hoping you can clarify a business matter that's come to my attention," I began casually. "Regarding our friends the Morettis." I kept my tone light, but Vik's eyes still widened slightly.
"Don't really know much about their affairs lately," he said too quickly. I fixed him with a steady look until he squirmed.
"Come on, Vik. We're friends here," I admonished, sipping my whiskey. "Just some professional curiosity on my part."
He hesitated, clearly weighing the risks of refusing my request versus spilling any secrets. Finally he leaned in, voice lowered. "Look, there's been some internal power clashes there recently. Challenges to the old hierarchy and such. But no specifics."
I sat back, frustrated. Vague hints of upheaval and betrayals, but nothing concrete I could pass on to give Natalia real answers. Vik shifted anxiously under my displeased stare.
"Hey, not my fault it's all hush-hush," he said defensively. "No one's talking details on this thing."
I kept Vik there drinking for another hour, trying to glean more about the severity of these conflicts through his gossip and impressions. He didn't reveal much, but I could tell the situation had him, and likely the whole city, spooked. This code of silence itself was telling - instability in their ranks was being hidden to avoid outside interference. But to me, the stakes were much more personal.
I left Vik to his liqueurs when it was clear no more light would be shed tonight. As I exited the restaurant, the prickling sense of watchful eyes tracking me from across the street put me instantly on alert. A quick scan revealed nothing concrete, but I took evasive routes home just to be safe. Asking too many questions inevitably drew attention.
Back in my sleek downtown high-rise apartment, I poured a drink in frustration. All signs indicated something sinister was rotting the Moretti family from within. But no one would speakspecifics to an outsider like me. Everyone was scared silent, wary of becoming collateral damage if the rot spread.
But this wasn't just business to me. Natalia didn't deserve to have her life ripped apart by the ugliness of feuds and power plays she'd been born into. Until I uncovered the truth of what had ruptured her family so violently, she would continue living under this tormenting cloud.
It was maddening being so powerless to offer real answers or protection from forces trying to destroy all she held dear. But giving up was not an option. One way or another, I would keep digging until the whole fetid mess was exposed, for Natalia's sake. She deserved some light piercing all these gathering shadows. I would do whatever it took to give her that, even if it meant upending the whole damn city's underworld.
These obsessive thoughts consumed me over the next few days as each lead and contact hit another dead end. Whoever had incited chaos within the once rock-solid Moretti clan had covered their tracks flawlessly. Meanwhile, Natalia waited in agonizing limbo. I was failing her, but at a loss for where to turn next.
