Chapter 4 - Whispering the Monster's Name
At 1:00 AM, the storm broke over the valley. Thunder shook the heavy glass windows of the mansion, and lightning illuminated the dark hallway outside Damiano's master suite.
Unable to sleep, Damiano sat in his leather armchair in the dark, the silver pocket watch ticking softly on the table beside him.
A tiny knock sounded at his door.
Damiano's hand moved instantly to his gun, his eyes narrowing. "Who is it?"
The heavy door creaked open, revealing three-year-old Lily standing in the doorway, clutching a battered plush bear. She was shivering, terrified by the loud peals of thunder outside.
"Sleeping man?" Lily whimpered, tears spilling down her cheeks. "The sky is booming."
Damiano stared at her, caught completely off-guard. He stood up, holstering his weapon, and walked over to the door. "Lily... where is your mother?"
"Mommy's asleep," Lily sniffled, reaching her small arms up toward him. "Can I stay here? The thunder is scary."
Damiano hesitated for half a second before lifting the little girl into his arms. She immediately buried her face in his shoulder, her tiny body trembling. He carried her over to the leather sofa, sitting down and wrapping a heavy wool blanket around her shoulders.
"You're safe here," Damiano said softly, awkwardly patting her back. "Nothing in this house can hurt you."
Lily rested her head on his broad chest, right over his heart, just as she had done under the oak tree. The heavy beat of his heart seemed to calm her.
"I saw the mean silver man," Lily murmured sleepily, her voice barely audible over the rain.
Damiano paused, his hand halting on her back. "What mean silver man, Lily?"
"The man with the silver hair," Lily whispered, her thumb in her mouth. "He was in the dark hall with the little phone. He talked to the bad man."
Damiano's blood ran cold. "What did he say, sweetheart?"
Lily rubbed her eyes, leaning deeper into his chest. "He said... Renato is opening the eastern tunnel for Bellandi. He said... kill the sleeping man."
The silence that followed was more deafening than the thunder outside.
Damiano felt the world shift on its axis. Renato. The man who had brought him coffee after his father's funeral. The man who managed every door hinge and every captain in his organization for fifteen years.
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The trusted advisor was the snake in his bed.
Damiano set Lily down on the sofa with immense care, leaning close to her. "Lily... you are the bravest girl I have ever met."
