“But which one is the firstborn?” I asked, looking down at Luca and Liana.

“Luca was born four minutes before his sister,” Vance said. “Dominic told me himself before he went into hiding.”

I touched Luca’s small forehead. “So he inherits the empire.”

“Yes,” Vance said. “The moment Dominic dies, Luca becomes the sole owner of every stock, property, and dollar the Romanos own.”

“And if Luca dies?” I asked.

“Then it goes to Liana,” Vance said. “But if both of them are gone, the charter states the entire fortune reverts to the next male in the bloodline.”

“Leo,” I whispered.

“Leo,” Vance nodded. “If those babies die, Leo becomes a billionaire overnight, with total control of the syndicate.”

I looked at the bottles of milk, then back at Vance.

“We have to protect them,” I said. “We have to get them out of Boston.”

Vance walked over to the window and pulled the heavy drapes back an inch.

He stared out into the rainy street for a long moment.

I noticed his hand was shaking.

On the counter sat a framed photograph of a young woman and a little boy.