CHAPTER 10: THE LION’S DEN
Ignoring the searing pain in his chest, Marco sprinted through the underbrush toward the command vehicle. He knew he didn't have the luxury of a prolonged firefight; Dante and Lily were trapped in a cellar that wouldn't hold out forever if reinforcements arrived.
Marco circled behind the armored truck. With one decisive pull, he yanked the driver's door open, neutralizing the guard inside before he could draw his sidearm.
Sitting in the plush leather interior of the rear cabin was Salvatore Rossi—an aging mob boss wrapped in a cashmere coat, holding a gold-plated cane and staring at a bank of monitor screens.
"Marco," Rossi said smoothly, though his eyes betrayed a sudden spike of primal fear. "You're looking worse for wear."
Marco stepped inside, locking the door behind him, leveling his weapon directly between Rossi's eyes. "Call off the squad. Right now."
Rossi sneered, tapping the display screen. "Even if you shoot me, my men will burn that cabin to ash. The ledger dies with you, Moretti. Give me the flash drive David hid, and I'll let the girl grow up in an orphanage."
"David didn't leave a flash drive, Sal," Marco said coldly, stepping closer until the barrel rested against Rossi’s forehead. "He uploaded the entire ledger to the Department of Justice on a timed dead-man’s switch. It releases automatically tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM."
Rossi’s face drained of all color. "You're bluffing."
May you like
"Try me," Marco whispered. "Now pick up the radio and call your men in Queens to release Dante’s brother. Do it, or your empire burns tonight with you in it."
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