Chapter 2 - Echoes of the Past
The Ricci safehouse was not a house; it was a fortress tucked into the rolling hills outside Boston, guarded by thermal cameras, automated gates, and men trained in elite warfare. Yet inside the master wing, the environment was warm, soft, and sterile.
Matteo stood behind the floor-to-ceiling glass panel of the private medical suite, watching doctor after doctor attend to the mother. Her name was Sarah. The little girl's name was Lily.
"She has two broken ribs, severe contusions, and a mild concussion, Boss," Paul whispered, stepping up beside Matteo. Paul was Matteo’s second-in-command, a man who had bled beside him for two decades. "The child, Lily, is physically fine, though severely malnourished and traumatized. We ran the background check."
"And?" Matteo demanded without taking his eyes off the child sleeping in the armchair next to her mother's bed.
"The man you knocked out is named Marcus Vance. Small-time loan shark, low-level thug affiliated with the Irish Syndicate in South Boston," Paul reported, handing Matteo a tablet. "Sarah was trapped in a lease with him. He used debt to keep her prisoner. But there's something else..."
Matteo scrolled through the digital files. "Speak."
"The phone number Lily texted. It wasn't random, Boss."
Matteo paused, his finger hovering over the glass screen. He turned his head slowly to look at Paul. "What do you mean?"
"The burner phone Lily used was an old model found in an attic box. The number was pre-programmed into the quick-dial memory under the name 'Guardian'. That number was assigned to your late brother, Anthony Ricci, twenty-five years ago before you took over his estate and recycled his personal lines."
Matteo’s heart thudded against his ribs, heavy and painful. Anthony.
Twenty-five years ago, before Matteo became the ruthless ruler of the underworld, his older brother Anthony had been involved in an underground charity—a clandestine network designed to spirit away abused women and children from dangerous syndicate men. When Anthony was assassinated by rival families, Matteo had burned the network down to protect his family, believing that compassion was a vulnerability that got good people killed.
Lily hadn't texted a wrong number. She had texted a lifeline created by a dead man twenty-five years ago—a line that had somehow landed back in Matteo's hands.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. The doctor stepped out of the room, bowing her head slightly. "Mr. Ricci, the mother is conscious. She’s asking for you."
Matteo walked into the room, his long strides measured. Sarah looked smaller without the heavy winter coats, wrapped in white hospital linens. Her face was bandaged, but her brown eyes were clear and filled with a mixture of fear and profound gratitude.
Lily was awake too, sitting up on the edge of the bed, holding a warm cup of chamomile tea with both hands.
"Mr. Ricci," Sarah murmured, her voice raspy. "The doctor told me where we are. I... I don't know how to repay you. We have no money."
"I don't want your money," Matteo said coldly, though his eyes softened as Lily looked up at him. "How did you get that phone?"
Sarah swallowed hard. "It belonged to my late mother. She told me years ago... that if I ever reached a point where death was the only option left, to power on that phone and press '1'. She said a man named Anthony promised her that no matter when, no matter where, someone would answer."
Matteo closed his eyes for a brief second. Anthony. His brother's ghost had just handed him a second chance.
"Anthony is dead," Matteo said, opening his eyes. "He’s been dead for a long time."
Sarah’s face fell, tears welling in her eyes. "Then... who are you?"
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Matteo looked down at Lily, who offered him a shy, tiny smile despite her bruises.
"I am his brother," Matteo said quietly. "And I am taking over his contract."
