Chapter 124

Layla

“Mommy?”

I froze.

My hand was still wrapped firmly around the handle of the blade Vanessa had threatened me with just minutes ago. But I made no immediate move to use it.

The soft, innocent sound of my own child’s voice broke through the air and struck me like a stray bullet to the back. All the air became stuck in my lungs as I dared to turn my head.

Eli. The center of my life. My last bit of normalcy I had—was terrified. For all the times he’d been placed in such dangerous, life-threatening situations, he’d remained calm and collected.

Not this time.

The whites of his eyes were so large, it made him look several years younger. There was a tremble to his hands and his bottom lip. My heart clenched between my lungs.

What was I to do?

Vanessa’s life was literally in the palms of my hands.

She was the sole cause for all the destruction that’s been going on recently. Her deception cost my family and me so much. I wanted her dead. She didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as my son.

Yet, I couldn’t very well slit the bitch’s throat with Eli watching no further than ten feet away. That sort of thing would never escape his memory. And I would never forgive myself if I was the reason for his new nightmares.

The police sirens were blaring. They were getting closer. My plan to get rid of the entire Rossetti family was beginning to dissolve into nothing. I bit my inner cheek, dreading the choice I was being forced to make.

My mouth twisted into a spiteful sneer as I glared down at Vanessa. I snarled and took the blade from her throat. Carefully, wiping away my fingerprints, I tossed the knife away from the two of us. However, I kept my hold on her neck firm.

“You listen to me,” I said low in my chest. “If I ever see you again, I’m going to make you wish that I had killed you. Stay away from the Marcello family.”

I got up from the ground and watched with a painful stab to the chest Vanessa scramble to her feet and make her own escape. It pained me to know that I might never get another chance to properly deal with her.

At least, Eli is safe now.

I heard Aldo’s firm tone behind me. “Carlo, get everyone out of here. Tell them to move Michael Rossetti’s body to a disclosed location and take Eli home. Everyone is to fall back.”

Carlo hesitated. He was, essentially, waiting for the orders to come from me. I had never felt more of the power dynamic shift so badly between Aldo and me until now.

“Do what he says,” I told Carlo.

Carlo gently eased Eli away from the scene. My heart crumbled to pieces as his gaze remained on me until he was firmly out of view. That look of unbridled terror was still marked on his face.

Moments later the place was swarmed with police officers, all ready to draw their weapons.

A large man, dressed down in his uniform, rushed forward from the group. “NYPD! No one move!”

Ethan stepped forward and my anger immediately surged to the surface. Of course. He was the one who notified the police.

“Captain,” Ethan greeted. “I’m the one who put out the call.”

“Smith? What the hell is going on here?”

I tore my eyes from the ground to look at Ethan who was carefully calculating his next words. My eyes then flickered over to Aldo who couldn’t even meet my fiery gaze.

“Kidnapping situation,” he answered.

The corner of my eye twitched as I fought back the unbearable urge to snap my hand across Ethan’s face. Son of a bitch.

“A kidnapping?” the police captain’s face held a look of dubious suspicion. “Who’s child?”

“Mine,” I bit out.

Everyone turned to glance at me.

“And you are?”

“Layla Marcello.”

The captain narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. “I believe I recognize you...Aren’t you one of the leading surgeons at the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“So, it was your child that was taken?” I nodded my head. “Why, may I ask, hadn’t you informed the police about this sooner?”

Both Ethan and Aldo had opened their mouths, in an attempt to say something; however, I swiftly cut them both off.

“Her name is Vanessa Redding. She was a patient of mine. She was attacked on the streets. I treated her wounds and found out that she had basically run away because of her destructive family life,” I explained. “I made the mistake of letting her into my home and close to my family.”

“Like I said before, why hadn’t you connected with the police?”

“She threatened to do much worse to Eli if I didn’t comply with her demands,” I explained. “It was money she was after. She tried to blackmail my family. I was to show up—alone with the money in exchange for my son’s safe return. Getting the police involved would have done more harm than good.”

I hadn’t bothered to hide the bitterness from my tone as I let out those last words. I could sense Ethan giving me the side-eye.

He was probably unsettled by the way I was able to lie through my teeth when talking to the literal captain of the police force. Although, most of what I was saying wasn’t entirely a lie. Vanessa had given me a false name in the beginning and was trying to blackmail my family.

It just wasn't money she was after—just the incarceration of my husband. Nevertheless, she had taken Eli and she had made threats to hurt him if we hadn’t complied with her demands.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, I wasn’t the one who contacted the police,” I pointed out. “If I had to guess, I would assume that it was Officer Smith.”

The captain gave Ethan a patronizing look. “I take it that he knew about the kidnapping as well, then.”

“Yes, but I begged him not to tell anyone. I couldn’t take the risk of Vanessa finding out what was happening behind the scenes.”

Why the hell was I covering for this bastard? I had no idea.

“Where’s Eli now?” the captain asked.

“Safe,” I said. “Vanessa realized I hadn’t brought the money with me, she tried to attack me with a knife. Eli was able to get past her and he’s now on his way home with one of our drivers.”

“Would it be possible to have Eli come in for questioning?”

“I’d rather you didn’t try to enforce that,” I said pointedly. Everyone stared at me in shock. “My son has been through hell and back. He’s been away from his parents and home for days. The last thing I need is for him to have to be faced with all of this again.”

“That’s understandable,” the captain noted. “Perhaps, once things calm down, he may be willing to come and talk to us then.”

“It’s a possibility,” I sighed.

A sudden, unfamiliar voice spoke out from the crowd. “But, would you be willing to come down to the station and answer a few questions, Doctor Marcello?”

We all turned our heads to find a younger man emerging from the back of the group. He wasn’t dressed like the other police officers. Instead of a uniform, he wore a dress shirt. He didn’t wear a badge but I could tell he was concealing a weapon on his side.

“And you are?” Aldo questioned.

The man gave a charming, knowing smile. “My name is Agent Danny Carter.”