Chapter 20
The revelation hit Maya like a physical blow. The man standing guard outside the door, the lieutenant who had just orchestrated the raid on the Barone garage with Dante, was the traitor. He was the one who had driven Elena to fake her own death.
"Mr. Russo," Maya whispered, her voice trembling violently. "If Luca is outside... he has armed men with him. We are trapped in here."
Dante didn't panic. He moved with terrifying, cold precision. He placed the letter and the USB drive into his inner jacket pocket. He walked over to a seemingly ordinary bookshelf, pulled a specific leather-bound volume, and pushed firmly. A section of the wall clicked and swung open seamlessly, revealing a hidden panic room lined with reinforced steel and communication arrays.
"Get in," Dante commanded quietly, gesturing to Maya and Sophia.
Maya didn't hesitate. She rushed into the small, brightly lit room, holding Sophia tightly against her chest.
"Lock the door from the inside," Dante instructed, his pale gray eyes locking onto hers. "Do not open it for anyone but me. If you hear gunfire, you stay on the floor."
"What are you going to do?" Maya asked, terrified of the violence that was about to erupt in the house.
"I am going to clean house," Dante replied, his voice devoid of any mercy.
He closed the bookshelf door, sealing Maya and Sophia safely inside the panic room.
Outside the study, Luca stood guard, oblivious to the fact that his betrayal had just been exposed. He checked his watch, waiting for Dante to emerge with the contents of the lockbox.
The heavy oak doors of the study swung open. Dante walked out, his hands empty, his expression an impenetrable mask of stone.
"Did you find what we need, boss?" Luca asked, stepping forward eagerly.
"Yes," Dante said smoothly, walking slowly toward his lieutenant. "I found exactly what I needed."
Before Luca could process the tone of his boss's voice, Dante moved with blinding, lethal speed. He drew his heavy pistol from his shoulder holster and fired a single, suppressed shot directly into the kneecap of the guard standing next to Luca. The man collapsed screaming.
Luca’s eyes widened in sheer terror. He reached for his weapon, but Dante was already there. Dante grabbed Luca by the throat, slamming him violently against the marble wall of the hallway.
"You thought you could sell me to the feds, Luca?" Dante hissed, pressing the barrel of his pistol hard under Luca’s chin. "You thought you could threaten my wife and force her into hiding?"
"Boss, wait, it’s a lie!" Luca gasped, choking against the crushing grip on his throat. "The Barones set me up!"
"Elena left the drive, Luca," Dante stated coldly, shattering the traitor’s final defense. "She left the audio recordings of your meetings with the FBI."
The color drained completely from Luca’s face. He knew he was a dead man.
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Dante didn't shoot him. He released his grip, letting Luca slump to the floor, gasping for air.
"You aren't going to die today, Luca," Dante promised, his voice a terrifying, dark whisper. "You are going to live long enough to tell me exactly where Elena is hiding. And then, you are going to beg for a bullet."
