Chapter 8 - The Weight of Inheritance
The subterranean bunker of Blackwood Manor was less a shelter and more an impenetrable subterranean fortress. Reinforced steel beams supported arched concrete ceilings, bathed in soft recessed lighting.
Elena found Leo sitting in the center of a wide leather sofa, wrapped in a heavy wool blanket. When he saw her walk through the heavy vault door, his small face lit up, and he hurled himself off the couch and directly into her arms.
""Elena!"" he cried, burying his face in her shoulder. ""I heard the loud noises. The house was shaking!""
""I know, baby, I know,"" Elena murmured, wincing slightly as his weight pressed against her freshly stitched back, but she refused to let go. She sank onto the couch with him in her lap, smoothing down his messy dark hair. ""It’s over now. The house is safe. Your papa made it safe.""
""Papa is strong,"" Leo said softly, his thumb finding his mouth. ""He makes the bad men go away.""
Elena held the boy tightly, her mind reeling from the revelation Viktor had dropped in the hallway. Leo wasn't just a wealthy mobster’s child. His mother had been a Silvano—the daughter of the rival syndicate that had ruled the western seaboard for half a century. Leo represented a unification of blood, a terrifying prospect to those currently ruling the Silvano empire who wished to retain unchecked power.
The heavy vault door hissed open.
Viktor walked in, having changed into a fresh black shirt, though the cut along his cheekbone remained raw and stark against his pale skin. He dismissed the guards with a brief flick of his fingers.
Leo turned toward him, his voice timid. ""Papa... did you stop them?""
""Always, Leo,"" Viktor replied, stepping over to the couch. He sat beside Elena, his massive thigh resting against hers, an unspoken declaration of proximity that she no longer had the strength to fight. He placed a large hand on Leo’s head, his touch extraordinarily gentle. ""Are you hungry?""
""A little,"" Leo whispered.
Viktor signaled an intercom on the wall. ""Have the kitchen send down warm soup and bread. Immediately.""
Once Leo drifted back into an uneasy doze on the cushions, Elena turned her head to face Viktor. The vault was soundproof, cutting them off completely from the chaos above.
""His mother,"" Elena said quietly, keeping her voice low so as not to wake the boy. ""What happened to her?""
Viktor’s jaw locked. A shadow of ancient, unhealed fury darkened his features. ""Maria died when Leo was born. But it was not complications of childbirth. Her brother, Dante Silvano, poisoned her medication. He wanted the line severed before it could challenge his claim to the throne.""
Elena felt cold nausea settle in her stomach. ""His own sister?""
""Family means nothing to men like Dante,"" Viktor said coldly, his obsidian eyes locking onto Elena’s. ""Only power. I kept Leo hidden for three years, pretending he was sickly, an invalid. But Dante discovered the truth. He knows that on Leo’s seventh birthday—next month—Maria’s trust vests. The entire southern shipping fleet transfers to Leo’s name. Under my stewardship.""
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Elena stared at him. ""Which means Dante has three weeks to kill him.""
""Three weeks to kill him,"" Viktor agreed, leaning closer until his shadow enveloped her completely. ""And Dante knows that the woman who shielded his target at Lumina holds the key to his son's heart. You aren't just Leo’s guardian now, Elena. In Dante’s eyes, you are the final barrier.""
