Chapter 5 - The Trap is Set
By Monday, the secret physical therapy sessions had reached a fever pitch.
In the subterranean gym, surrounded by heavy steel bars and heart monitors, Luca was standing without the harness. Supported only by his iron cane, he took five solid, unassisted steps across the concrete floor.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
The pain was unimaginable—a searing, tearing sensation that felt as if his muscles were being reconstructed with barbed wire. Sweat soaked through his shirt, dripping onto his jawline, but he refused to fall.
Dr. Lind checked his reflexes with a small rubber mallet. A sharp, clear kick responded instantly.
"The neurological block is eighty percent cleared," Lind announced, a look of genuine medical disbelief on his face. "Your body is processing the residual toxins faster than I anticipated. Your sheer stubbornness is accelerating the neuroplasticity."
"Can I walk into the dining room on Thursday?" Luca asked, breathing heavily as he leaned heavily on his cane.
"Walk? Yes," Lind warned. "But you will not be agile. You will not be able to run or engage in prolonged physical combat. If a gunfight breaks out, Luca, you will still be a stationary target."
"I don't need to run," Luca said, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. "I just need to stand."
Marcus stepped into the gym, holding a encrypted radio. "Boss, we just intercepted a communication from Dominic’s driver. Dominic has hired four external mercenaries—ex-military contractors from Chicago. They aren't local mobsters. He’s bringing them inside the compound on Thursday under the guise of 'additional security' for the document signing."
"He plans to execute me the moment I sign the trust transfer," Luca deduced instantly. "He’ll kill me, stage it as a heart failure brought on by the excitement, and use his hired guns to eliminate any loyal guards before Marcus can react."
"Should I ambush them at the gate?" Marcus asked, his hand dropping instinctively to his sidearm.
"No," Luca commanded firmly. "If you attack them at the gate, Dominic’s captains on the outside will claim I went mad and attacked my own underboss. It gives them a reason to start a full-scale street war that will put this estate—and my daughter—in danger."
Luca turned, walking slowly back to his wheelchair, sitting down with practiced ease.
"Let them come inside," Luca ordered smoothly. "Let them walk right into the central hall. Let Dominic believe every single detail of his plan is unfolding perfectly. We will catch the snake when his head is entirely inside the trap."
"What about Elena and the kids?" Marcus asked.
"Tomorrow morning, you will move Elena, Maya, and Tommy to the safehouse in Wisconsin," Luca said. "Under heavy guard."
"No," a voice called out from the doorway.
Luca turned his head. Elena was standing at the top of the gym stairs. She had come down to bring towels, and she had heard everything.
She walked down the concrete steps, her face set in a hard, uncompromising line that mirrored Luca's own stubbornness.
"I am not going to Wisconsin," Elena said flatly.
"Elena, this estate is going to become a war zone on Thursday," Luca said, his tone commanding. "I will not risk Maya being anywhere near it."
"Then send Maya and Tommy with Marcus's men," Elena countered, walking right up to his wheelchair, looking down at him without a single trace of fear. "But I am staying here."
"Why?" Luca demanded. "It’s dangerous!"
"Because Dominic knows me," Elena said clearly. "He knows I am the head housekeeper. If I disappear on Wednesday night, his informants inside the house will tell him something is wrong. He will suspect a trap and change his plans. If I am here, doing my work, acting normal... he will suspect nothing."
Luca stared at her. He wanted to order her out. He wanted to use his authority as the head of the family to force her into safety. But as he looked into her steady, unwavering eyes, he realized she was entirely right. Dominic was paranoid; any sudden shift in the house staff routine would trigger his suspicion.
May you like
Luca reached out, taking her hand in his. "If anything goes wrong, you run to the sub-basement. Marcus’s second-in-command will be stationed at the hidden door."
"Nothing is going to go wrong," Elena said, her fingers tightening around his. "You've spent twelve years in this chair, Luca. It's time you took your life back."
