“We could both have what we want, Elena.”

“No,” I said, stopping a few feet from the desk.

“As long as you are running this city, my child will never be safe.”

“You will always know where I am.”

“You will always have a hold over me.”

Sophia’s smile faded, her face becoming serious.

“I am the only friend you have left,” she said.

“A friend does not use my child as leverage,” I said.

Outside, a car door slammed, the sound sharp in the quiet night.

A shout echoed from the yard, followed by the sound of footsteps running on the gravel.

Sophia looked toward the window, her hand moving slowly toward the silver revolver on the desk.

My phone, still in Luca’s hand or perhaps on the car seat, was gone, but the screen on Sophia’s laptop suddenly flashed.

A new notification popped up, the red light on her screen blinking rapidly.

She looked back at the screen, her brow furrowed.

“What is that?” I asked.

Sophia did not answer, her fingers freezing over the keyboard as the door behind me began to creak open.