Page 7 of Crimson Reign

"Get some sleep," he finally said, his tone softer. “Tomorrow will be a long day."

I should go back to bed. Instead, I ask, “Do the nightmares ever go away?”

His expression shifts. “No,” he exhales sharply. “They change. Sometimes they fade. But they don’t disappear.”

A cry from the bedroom saves me from having to respond. Fiona is awake.

“Elena.” Matteo’s voice stops me. “The USB drive. Where is it?”

“Somewhere safe,” I reply. “I’ll give it to you when I know Fiona and I are safe.”

I feel his gaze on my back as I walk away, but he doesn’t follow. In the bedroom, I lift Fiona into my arms, soothing her with gentle words until she settles.

“We’re going to be okay,” I whisper, more to convince myself than her.

Tomorrow, I’ll share what I know about the Carusos’ operations. Tomorrow, I’ll have to navigate a world of killers to secure a future for my daughter.

Morning light filters through the thin curtains. For a moment, disoriented, I reach for Mark before reality crashes back. He’s gone.

We’re in hiding.

The smell of coffee drifts from the kitchen. I change Fiona’s diaper, dress her, and step into the living room.

Three people turn to look at me. Matteo, dressed in another impeccable suit, stands near the window. Beside him is a striking woman with warm green eyes.

The third man’s icy gaze makes my stomach tighten.

The Reaper. Nico Moretti.

“Elena,” Matteo says, his voice calm. “This is my sister Isabella and her husband, Nico.”

Isabella inhales sharply. “I heard about what happened….” She shakes her head. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

I force a painful smile. “Thank you.”

She gestures to several bags on the counter. “Clothes for you and the little one, food, toiletries.”

I nod, unsure of what to say. I’ve seen their files, heard whispers about them while held by Massimo.

Isabella runs the Bellanti family’s legitimate businesses. Nico Moretti, once the Moretti family’s feared enforcer, married into the Bellanti to seal an alliance.

Massimo gloated that their marriage was a disaster, that the alliance would crumble. But looking at them now, I can see he was wrong.

“Thank you,” I say.

Isabella’s eyes soften as she looks at Fiona. “She’s beautiful. May I?”

I hesitate, then nod. She gently strokes Fiona’s cheek.

“We need to discuss security arrangements,” Matteo says. “Nico and I will step outside.”

The two men moved toward the door, their footsteps echoing slightly as they left Isabella, my daughter, and me alone.

Once they’re gone, Isabella guides me to the kitchen table. A cup of coffee sits there.

“He made that for you,” she says. “My brother.”

I take a sip. It’s perfect.

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