Chapter 10 - The Threshold of Truth
The storm outside finally broke, the heavy rain giving way to a pale, cold dawn. The authorities were hours away; Enzo had made sure the local police knew to look the other way until the renovations at the Romano estate were finished. Domenico sat on the edge of a leather chair in the grand foyer. Sofia was fast asleep against his chest, exhausted from the trauma of the night. Her small hands gripped his ruined, blood-stained shirt. He held her with a fierce, unbreakable protectiveness. She was his daughter. His blood. The only good thing to ever come from the Romano name. Across the room, paramedics on the cartel payroll were loading Camilla onto a stretcher. She was pale, breathing shallowly, but she was going to live. Domenico stood up and walked over to her. The paramedics stepped back respectfully. Camilla looked up at him, fear and exhaustion warring in her eyes. "Why did you save her?" Domenico asked quietly. Camilla swallowed hard. "Because I hated your father... for making me a monster. For forcing me to steal a child to keep a crown I never wanted. Sofia... she deserves better than us, Domenico." Domenico stared at her for a long moment. "You leave Italy. You leave America. You disappear. If I ever see your face again, Marco won't be the only one rotting in the cellar." Camilla nodded weakly, closing her eyes as the paramedics wheeled her out into the cold morning air. Enzo walked up beside Domenico, handing him a fresh cup of espresso and a satellite phone. "The Moretti underboss is on line one. He wants to know what happened to Lorenzo." Domenico looked down at his sleeping daughter. He gently brushed a strand of light-brown hair from her face. He had lost his brother, his father, and the woman he loved. But he had gained a reason to survive. "Tell him Lorenzo had a tragic accident," Domenico said, taking the phone. His voice was cold, authoritative, and utterly devoid of fear. "Tell him Domenico Romano is the head of this family now. And tell him that if he ever looks toward my territory again, I will burn his world to the ground." He hung up the phone, stepping over the threshold of the shattered mansion doors and walking out into the rising sun. The war was over for today. But the legacy of the Romanos had just begun.
