Chapter 10 – THE BRACELET

I stared at the gold bracelet dangling from David’s trembling fingers.

“Who took you?” I demanded, keeping the door blocked.

David looked terrified, glancing over his shoulder at the quiet street.

“The Laurents. When they found out I married into the true Vitale bloodline, they grabbed me off the street. They kept me locked in a warehouse in Detroit for two years, using me as leverage against Marco’s old associates.”

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Sebastian appeared in the foyer. His relaxed posture instantly vanished.

“Who is this?” Sebastian asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“This is David,” I said. “Sarah’s husband.”

Sebastian stepped in front of me, placing himself between me and the door.

“The Laurents are in federal custody,” Sebastian said coldly.

“I know,” David choked out. “When the feds raided Dominic’s compounds last week, the guards ran. I managed to escape.”

He held out the gold bracelet.

“I spent my last ten dollars buying this back from the pawnshop on 4th Street. Please. I just want to see my wife. I want to see my boy.”

I didn’t know what to believe.

For two years, I had held Sarah while she cried. I had watched her work three jobs just to keep the heat on.

But looking at David now—emaciated, bruised, and broken—I saw the truth. He hadn’t abandoned them. He had been a prisoner of the war we had just ended.

“Grace?”

I turned.

Sarah stood at the end of the hallway.

She dropped the plate she was holding. It shattered on the hardwood floor.

“David?” she whispered.

David broke down into heavy, racking sobs.

He fell to his knees on the front porch. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I’m so sorry.”

Sarah ran past us. She threw herself onto the ground with him, wrapping her arms around his neck, sobbing into his coat.

Little Leo peeked around the corner.

He looked at Sebastian, unsure.

Sebastian knelt down to the boy’s eye level.

“It’s okay, Leo,” Sebastian smiled gently. “That’s your dad. He finally made it home.”

As Leo ran toward his parents, Sebastian stood up and took my hand.

“We have a lot of rebuilding to do,” Sebastian said quietly.

I squeezed his hand.

“Are you ready for it?” I asked.

Share