THE LITTLE GIRL WHO ASKED THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN NEW YORK TO TEACH HER HOW TO FIGHT

PART 2

The next morning, the penthouse was unusually quiet.

Dante stood in the security room with his hands braced against the edge of the console.

Sixteen screens covered the wall.

Elevators.

Hallways.

Parking garage.

Lobby.

Private entrance.

Service corridor.

Rear loading dock.

Julian stood beside him, holding a tablet.

“There.”

The footage rolled.

11:47 p.m.

Rain streaked the camera lens.

A man stepped into view.

Long dark coat.

Black hat.

Gloves.

He stopped beneath the security light.

Dante leaned closer.

The man lifted his head.

For one brief second, his face became visible.

Older.

Hard.

A crooked scar ran beneath his jaw.

Dante’s eyes narrowed.

“Zoom.”

Julian enlarged the image.

The scar became clearer.

Dante’s expression changed.

“You know him?”

Julian shook his head.

“No.”

“Then why does he look familiar?”

Julian didn’t answer.

The footage continued.

The man reached the service entrance.

He didn’t knock.

He didn’t use a keycard.

The door opened from inside.

Dante’s jaw тιԍнтened.

“Who opened it?”

Julian switched screens.

A corridor camera showed the person waiting inside.

A hooded figure.

“Can’t see the face,” Julian said.

“Enhance it.”

“I’ve tried.”

The figure turned.

For less than a second, the hood slipped.

Dante froze.

“Stop.”

Julian froze the frame.

Dante stared.

“No.”

“What?”

“Run it again.”

The footage replayed.

The figure stood beside the door.

Then disappeared.

Dante’s voice became quiet.

“That isn’t Emma.”

“No.”

“Then who?”

Julian shook his head.

“We’re still working on it.”

Dante walked out.

He found Emma in the kitchen.

She was preparing breakfast for Lily.

Her hands moved mechanically.

Toast.

Fruit.

Milk.

She didn’t look up.

“Did you sleep?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Emma’s knife stopped.

“You know why.”

Dante stepped closer.

“I know someone has been threatening you.”

Emma’s eyes lifted.

“I never told you that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

Her face crumpled.

“Please don’t ask me anything else.”

“I need to.”

“He’ll kill her.”

“Who?”

Emma whispered the name.

“Victor.”

Dante’s eyes hardened.

“Victor who?”

Emma shook her head.

“I don’t know his last name.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“At the hospital.”

Dante said nothing.

Emma continued.

“After Lily was born.”

Her voice trembled.

“He knew things about us. Things nobody should have known.”

“What things?”

“He knew where I lived.”

A pause.

“He knew Lily’s birthday.”

Another.

“He knew the name of the school she was supposed to attend.”

Dante’s expression became colder.

“Why didn’t you go to the police?”

Emma laughed once.

It wasn’t a happy sound.

“Because the first officer I spoke to told me to stop wasting their time.”

Dante stared at her.

“And then?”

“He sent me a pH๏τograph.”

“Of what?”

Emma looked toward the hallway.

“Lily sleeping.”

Dante went completely still.

“When?”

“Three months ago.”

“Where was the pH๏τograph taken?”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears.

“In her bedroom.”

Dante turned toward the security room.

“Julian!”

His voice carried through the penthouse.

Julian appeared.

Dante’s face was expressionless.

“Lock every exit.”

Julian nodded.

“Already done.”

“No.”

Dante looked toward Lily’s bedroom.

“Lock down the entire floor.”

A tiny voice came from behind them.

“Mr. Dante?”

Lily stood in the hallway.

She held her rabbit.

Dante crouched.

“What’s wrong?”

She pointed toward the elevator.

“The bad man is here.”

Emma went rigid.

Julian reached for his weapon.

Dante stood.

“Where?”

Lily pointed.

“Down there.”

The elevator indicator began moving upward.

Forty-one.

Forty-two.

Forty-three.

Forty-four.

Dante’s eyes remained fixed on the numbers.

Forty-five.

Forty-six.

Forty-seven.

Forty-eight.

The elevator stopped.

Nobody moved.

A soft chime sounded.

The doors began to open.

Dante stepped in front of Lily.

The doors slid apart.

An empty elevator waited.

No one inside.

Then Lily screamed.

“Mommy!”

Everyone turned.

Emma was gone.

Her kitchen apron lay crumpled on the floor.

The rear service door stood open.

Dante’s face became stone.

Julian ran toward it.

Outside, rain hammered the service balcony.

And on the wet concrete, beside the open door, lay Lily’s stuffed rabbit.

Its remaining ʙuттon eye was missing.

Dante picked it up.

A folded piece of paper had been tucked beneath its torn ear.

Three words were written across it.

YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED.

Dante’s fingers closed around the note.

For the first time that night, something dangerous moved behind his eyes.

Not fear.

Not anger.

A promise.

He looked at Julian.

“Find her.”

Julian nodded.

“And when you find the man who took her…”

Dante looked down at Lily’s rabbit.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

“Bring him to me.”