Chapter 55 Sara

I had just gotten home from Abuela’s when my phone buzzed. The house was warm, sunlight spilling across the living room floor, the kind of peaceful afternoon that usually settled my nerves. But the second I saw Salvatore’s name, something in my chest tightened. I answered quickly. “Hey.”

His voice was low, steady, but there was something underneath it. “Mi corazón… I won’t be home until late tonight.”

My stomach dipped. “Everything okay?”

“I had to go on the run today,” he said. “I wasn’t planning on it, but it needed to be done.”

I leaned against the counter, gripping the edge. “Okay. Just… be careful.”

“I will.” A pause. Then softer: “Tell Gabe I’ll call him before bed. I don’t want him waiting up.”

“He’ll understand,” I said. “He’ll want to tell you about his day.”

Another pause, longer this time. “Sara.”

“Yeah?”

“Stay at the house. No matter what. Don’t leave. If anything happens, call Bruce. He’ll know what to do.”

My breath caught. “Salvatore… what’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” he said gently. “Just promise me.”

“I have no plans to leave,” I said. “I’ll stay here, I promise. I miss you. Hurry home.”

His exhale was soft, almost relieved. “I miss you too, mi corazón.”

The call ended, but the unease didn’t. I tried to shake it off, cleaned up the kitchen, straightened the living room, checked the time. Gabe would be home soon. That always helped. And right on schedule, the front door opened and he came bounding in, backpack half‑unzipped, hair sticking up from recess. “Mama!” he yelled, dropping his bag with a thud. “I’m home!”

I smiled despite everything. “Hey, baby.”

He ran over, hugging me tight. “Can we have pizza for dinner? And watch Star Wars? The one with the big snow walkers?”

I laughed, brushing his hair back. “Yes, we can do pizza. And yes, we can watch Star Wars.”

He grinned, then paused. “Where's Dad? We should ask him if he likes Star Wars too.”

I shook my head gently. “He has business to handle tonight, and won't be home till late. But he’s going to call before bedtime.”

Gabe nodded, accepting it easily. “Okay. I’ll tell him about my spelling test. I got a star.”

My heart softened. “He’s going to love hearing that.” Gabe ran off to change out of his school clothes, humming the Star Wars theme under his breath. The house felt warm again. Normal. Safe. But that little knot in my chest, the one that started this morning, didn’t go away. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight…something was shifting.

Gabe and I were halfway through Empire Strikes Back, he was curled against my side, quoting every line like he’d been born in a galaxy far, far away, when my phone buzzed on the coffee table. I almost ignored it. Almost. But the caller ID made my stomach drop. Tío Rafael.

I paused the movie. “Hold on, baby.”

Gabe groaned dramatically but didn’t complain, already digging into the pizza box again.

I answered. “Tío? What’s wrong?”

His voice came through tight, rushed. “Mi niña, are you okay?”

My heart jumped. “Yes, I’m fine. Why? What happened?”

“There was a break‑in at the garage,” he said. “Nothing stolen, but the place is a mess. I thought, you might want to come down.”

I stood up without realizing it, hand gripping the back of the couch. “A break‑in? Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, yes,” he said quickly. “No one was there. But I wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re safe.”

I closed my eyes, Salvatore’s voice echoing in my head:

Stay at the house. No matter what.

If anything happens, call Bruce.

“Tío,” I said softly, “I need to make a call. I’ll call you right back.”

“Of course, mi niña. Take your time.”

We hung up, and I immediately dialed Bruce. He answered on the second ring. “Sara?”

“Bruce… someone broke into my uncle’s garage.”

Silence. Then a low exhale. “That’s… interesting timing,” he said. “Considering Salvatore went on the run today.”

My pulse spiked. “You think it’s connected?”

“I don’t like coincidences,” he said. “Stay put. I’ll go check it out myself.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Really.”

“You’re family,” he said simply. “I’ll call you when I get there.”

We hung up, and I called my uncle back.

“Tío? Bruce is going to check on everything. He thinks it’s safer if I stay home.”

Rafael let out a breath of relief. “Good. I agree. You stay with Gabe. I’ll meet Bruce at the garage.”

“Okay,” I said. “Please be careful.”

“Always, mi niña.”

We ended the call, and I sank back onto the couch. Gabe looked up at me, pizza sauce on his cheek. “Everything okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah, baby. Everything’s fine.”

But the knot in my chest tightened. Something was happening. Something bigger than a break‑in. Something that made Salvatore’s warning echo louder in my ears. I hit play on the movie again, pulling Gabe close. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight…the shadows were moving.