Sapphire (Book One, Arrow)

chapter 7 ⚔ Muse of Fire

Moira was nearly gunned down by a mysterious person on a motorcycle, when they had killed the man that she had been standing with.

John and security were at the hospital, protecting Moira.

Oliver was working out in the hideout.

I walked closer. "Oliver, your mom was nearly killed. I think you can take a day off from training."

Oliver turned away. "My mother wasn't the target." He pointed at the information of the man that had been killed on the computer. "This man was. Paul Copani. He was trying to close a deal with her when they were shot at." He sat at the table. I walked closer. "Copani works for Bertinelli Construction and Frank Bertinelli."

"The mob boss?" I asked.

Oliver nodded. "I did some digging. Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew who's been hit."

"You did some digging?" I repeated.

Oliver sighed. "Bertinelli has a lot of enemies. The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organization is to get inside of it."

"So, let me get this right, Oliver," I told him. "Your mother's shot at, nearly killed, and the way you process this emotionally is by going undercover with the mob."

"I'm not trying to process anything emotionally," Oliver told me. 

"Yeah, well, maybe that's your problem," I told him. "Have you ever thought about just being there for your family?"

"I tried that today with Thea," Oliver told me. "She told me I wasn't being honest with her, and she's right. I can't very well explain to her that I left our mother alone and bleeding on the pavement because I'm fast enough to almost run down the attacker. But what I can do is protect my family." He stood. "And, Jill, when I find out who this guy is, he's a dead man."

"You don't have to explain," I told him. "All you have to do is be there with them. I'll do anything I can to figure out what's going on. And when the time comes, I will come to you with what I find out."

"You know that if you do that, I'm gonna kill whoever almost killed my mother," Oliver told me. "And I know your moral compass about the killing. You hate it, you don't want it. Why would you come back to me with whatever you find out knowing that it will end in a death sentence?"

"Because it's Moira," I answered. "She's been kind to me since I've been here, and in case she really is in immediate danger, I want to save her from it, too. No matter what the cost."

⚔   

I went to Frank Bertinelli's house, standing with him at the doorway to his home. "Mr. Bertinelli."

Frank smiled, shaking my hand. "Call me Frank."

I walked inside. "Call me Jill."

Frank closed the door behind me. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me at my home."

"My father used to say that living rooms make the best conference rooms," I told him.

"Oh, I'm gonna steal that," Frank told me. "I assume that you're here to speak for the Queens being that as of now, they're unable to speak for themselves." I nodded. Frank led me toward another man. "Nick Salvati, my associate."

I shook Nick's hand. "How do you do?"

Nick nodded.

"Let's have a drink," Frank told us.