Page 43 of Silent Night With Luca

But the doubt is there now, flickering in her eyes. She’s starting to realize the truth, even if she doesn’t want to accept it.

“She did, Fiamma,” I say quietly. “And we need to figure out why.”

I’ve got someone you will want to talk to.

Sal’s messagecomes in just as we are trying to find some semblance of peace in this space. I’m not entirely convinced that Fiamma doesn’t know more than she is letting on. She hates me that I would even suggest such a thing. But we are at an impasse.

I put Sal Moretti on the case, knowing if there is anyone out there with information about this, he will find him. And sure enough, it looks like he’s come through.

“Get your coat, we’re going on a trip,” I bark at her. Then I text Sal back.

Tell me where you are and I will be there as quickly as I can.

I glance over at Fiamma, her face pale and tired, but there’s no time for rest. Not yet. “You’re coming with me,” I say, pocketing my phone.

She looks up at me, confused. “What? Where?”

“I’m not leaving you alone, not after today. We need to figure out Arianna’s part in all of this. Sal has something for us.”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t argue. She knows something’s wrong, maybe feels it as much as I do. Whatever Sal’s got, it’s important. And I need her to hear it too.

Sal’s message comes in just as we step out of the lodge. The cold air bites at my face as I read it, my jaw tightening.

Blackwood Forest.

The drive out of town is tense. The quiet between us feels like a heavy weight, hanging in the air, as if the forest itself is swallowing us whole. The snow is thick, blanketing the ground, and the trees stand tall and foreboding, casting long shadows over the trail. Blackwood is known for one thing among the Lucianas—disappearing people.

When we pull up, I see Sal standing beside his car. Lucky Gupta is tied to a tree like a Christmas present no one wants. Sal nods as we approach, his breath clouding in the freezing air.

“Thought you’d want to hear this one yourself,” Sal says, pulling Lucky’s head back by his hair.

Lucky’s face is bruised, his eyes darting between me and Fiamma. His mouth opens, and he stammers, “L-look, I didn’t want any of this, okay? Marco… Marco made me do it. He threatened my family. I’m the one that took you from the lodge, I’m sorry. But I didn’t hurt you, I just delivered you as I was told to do. I’m so sorry. Please don’t hurt me.”

I crouch down in front of him, eye level. “Then start talking. Now. How is Arianna a part of this?”

Lucky swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Arianna—she was never really your friend,” he says, looking at Fiamma. “She was planted by Marco, a year ago. The plan was always to get close to you, so she could feed Marco information.”

I glance at Fiamma, her face white as a ghost. She stares at Lucky, eyes wide and glossy with unshed tears. But she doesn’t interrupt. She needs to hear this.

“What’s in it for her? Why did she do it?”

Lucky Is desperate now, spilling everything. “Arianna… she knew when you’d be vulnerable, how to get into the lodge, how to avoid the guards. She was the one who told Marco to come through the back door, told him it’d be unlocked.”

Fiamma’s breath hitches. “But I trusted her. How? Why?”

I stand up, taking a step back, watching her crumble inside. I hate seeing her like this, but she had to hear it. She had to know who her so-called friend really was.

Lucky’s voice turns pleading, his eyes flicking between us. “Please, you gotta understand. I had no choice! Marco would’ve killed me if I didn’t help.”

I shake my head slowly, the weight of the truth settling in. “You think that changes anything?” I reach into my coat, pulling out my Benelli. “It was either going to be him or me.”

Before he can say another word, I pull the trigger. The sound echoes through the trees, the shot clean between his eyes. His body slumps, lifeless, against the ropes on the tree, a red stain spreading across the white ground.

Sal steps forward without a word, already grabbing Lucky by the legs to drag him deeper into the forest. “I’ll take care of this,” he mutters, disappearing into the shadows.

I turn back to Fiamma, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the trees. She doesn’t say anything, just looks at me with an expression I can’t read. I reach out, pulling her close, but she doesn’t melt into me like before. She’s too hurt, too raw.

Without a word, I guide her back to the car. The drive back to the lodge is silent, neither of us speaking, the weight of everything that just happened. Finding out someone you care about betrayed you gives you about the worst feeling a person can have. I want to make it better, but I know there is nothing I can say or do. She has to process it and come to peace on her own.

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