"I'll be there in five minutes."
When Sofia arrives, I let her in quietly. "She's been through hell. If she wakes up, just... be there. Don't try to touch her or—just be calm. Reassuring."
Sofia nods, her eyes filled with concern. "Go. I've got her."
Upstairs in Vito's penthouse, the atmosphere is focused. Vito sits behind his desk. Dante is there too, his arm still in a sling. Rafa is at his laptop.
"Sit," Vito says, gesturing to a chair.
I all but collapse into the sofa. "Ronan and Elio?"
"Both secured in the basement at the warehouse. Separate cells, heavy guard." Vito leans forward. "Now tell me everything. What did you find?"
I walk him through it. The warehouse layout. The guards we took down. Finding Elena in that cell. Ronan's taunts. What he confirmed about the assault.
Vito's jaw tightens with each detail. "And Ronan gave up information before you brought him in?"
"Dante got safehouses and business locations out of him. Rafa's already confirmed they're legitimate."
Rafa nods. "We've got eyes on three properties. All active Costello operations."
"Good." Vito stands and walks to the window. "We move on those locations within forty-eight hours. Dante, despite your injury, I need you coordinating with Luca and Enzo."
"Not a problem, boss."
Vito turns back to me. "How is Elena?"
The question catches me off guard. "Physically? Doctor says she'll heal. Emotionally?" I shake my head. "She's not okay. Won't be for a while."
"The assault was confirmed?"
"Yes." The word tastes like ash.
Vito's expression darkens. "Then when the time comes, she gets to decide what happens to Ronan. If she wants to be the one to end him, that's her right."
"And Elio?"
"Also her decision. He's the reason this happened. She should decide his fate." Vito meets my eyes. "But Marco—she's not ready to make those decisions. Not yet. Give her time."
"I know."
"There's something else," Rafa interjects. "Tony wasn't working alone. The payment trail suggests someone higher upin the Costello organization was running him. And possibly others."
"Meaning we might have more moles," I say.
"Exactly. I'm running background checks on everyone who had access to Elena's movements, her schedule, your assignments." Rafa's fingers fly across his keyboard. "So far nothing concrete, but I'm looking."
"Find them," Vito commands. "I want to know everyone who betrayed us."
"There's one more thing," Dante says quietly. "Ronan mentioned during interrogation that this wasn't just about Elio's debt. He was using Elena to draw us out. To make us act rashly."
"Which almost worked," Vito says, looking at me.
"It did work. I went in exactly like he wanted—emotional, reckless." I run a hand through my hair. "If the situation had been different, if there'd been more guards or better security?—"
"But there wasn't. You got her out. That's what matters." Vito's voice softens slightly. "But moving forward, we need to be smarter. The Costellos are still out there. Whoever's running their operation knows we have Ronan now. They'll either try to get him back or cut their losses and come at us harder."
"Let them try."
