The most feared mafia boss in New York pretended to sleep because he suspected his new maid was hiding something from him. But instead of catching her stealing or betraying him, I felt her little daughter cover me with a blanket and whisper six words that shattered the one belief keeping me alive.

The impact was deafening as metal crushed against metal. Our SUV spun wildly across the wet asphalt before slamming into the guardrail. The airbags deployed with a violent hiss, filling the cabin with white smoke. My ears rang as I fought to regain consciousness. I kicked my jammed door open and stumbled out into the pouring rain. The tow truck driver was already stepping out of his cab with a shotgun in his hands. I raised my pistol and fired twice, dropping him before he could aim. I rushed to the other side of the SUV and pulled Maria and Sofia from the wreckage. "Are you hurt?" I asked frantically. Maria shook her head, but I could see a deep cut bleeding on her forehead. Sofia was crying, but miraculously, she seemed unharmed. A sharp, burning pain suddenly erupted in my left shoulder. I reached up and felt the warm, sticky flow of blood soaking my shirt. I had been hit by a stray piece of shrapnel during the crash. "We have to get off the road," I grunted, gritting my teeth against the pain. I led them away from the burning wreckage and deep into the Appalachian woods. After an hour of agonizing walking, we found an abandoned hunting cabin. I kicked the rotting door open and secured it behind us. The cabin was cold and dusty, but it shielded us from the freezing storm. Maria found an old first-aid kit in the bathroom and immediately began tending to my shoulder. "You saved our lives," she whispered as she wrapped the bandage tightly. I looked into her eyes, seeing a strength I had never noticed before. "I owe you a life," I replied softly. Sofia walked over to me and gently touched my uninjured arm. "Does it hurt, Mr. Daniel?" she asked innocently. I smiled at her, a genuine smile I had not felt in decades. "I am okay, Sofia," I promised her. "Can you sing that song your daddy taught you?" I asked gently. Sofia nodded and began to sing a strange, rhyming tune about a weeping angel holding a stone heart. The lyrics sent a sudden shockwave through my entire body. I knew exactly what the song meant. The weeping angel with the stone heart was the centerpiece of my own mother's grave. Leo had hidden the ledger in the one place he knew I would always protect. Suddenly, the wooden floorboards of the cabin groaned under the weight of heavy footsteps outside.