"That was me too. He said it didn't have to be real, just had to look real enough to get the bomb squad called. Create chaos. Make the lawyer think twice about going to trial." He was sweating now. "I swear that's all I know. He handled the planning. I just did what he told me."
I looked at Vincent. "Verify this."
Vincent stepped forward and spent five minutes asking follow-up questions. Cross-referencing details. By the time he finished, we had a complete picture. Costello orchestrating threats. Using low-level enforcers. Trying to intimidate Emilio into withdrawing.
"He's telling the truth," Vincent confirmed. "Matches what we suspected."
I stood and looked down at Angelo. "You're going to deliver a message for me. Tell Costello that threatening my attorney wasthe last mistake he'll ever make. Tell him I'm coming for him. Tell him he better hope the legal system protects him because nothing else will."
"You're letting me go?" Angelo sounded shocked.
"I'm giving you one chance to walk away from this. Take it. Disappear. Leave the city. If I ever see you again, if you ever work for the Costellos again, if you ever even think about Emilio Rossi again, I will bury you so deep no one will ever find the body." I nodded to Vincent. "Cut him loose. Make sure he understands the terms."
Vincent pulled out a knife and cut the zip ties. Angelo stumbled to his feet, rubbing his wrists.
"One more thing," I said as he headed for the door. "If he asks who grabbed you, tell him the truth. Tell him it was me. Tell him I said we can handle this in court or we can handle it other ways. His choice."
Angelo ran. Actually ran out of the warehouse like the building was on fire.
Vincent watched him go. "You think he'll deliver the message?"
"Doesn't matter. Costello will get it either way." I pulled out my phone and called Matteo. "Need your help with something. The Costello nephew's getting too bold. Time to remind him why that's a bad idea."
"Finally." Matteo sounded pleased. "What do you need?"
"Nothing that leaves marks. Nothing that creates evidence. Just a reminder that there are consequences for threatening people under our protection." I paused. "Make it memorable."
"Always do."
I hung up and turned to Vincent. "What else do we have on the Costello family?"
"Financial records showing they're overextended. Real estate holdings that are underwater. Legitimate businesses that arebarely breaking even." Vincent handed me another file. "They're vulnerable. One good push and their whole operation collapses."
"Then let's push." I reviewed the documents. "I want every pressure point exploited. Every debt called in. Every supplier turned against them. By the time we're done, the Costello family will be begging us to accept a plea deal just to make it stop."
This was what I did. This was what I was good at. Taking threats and turning them into opportunities. Taking enemies and crushing them so thoroughly they never posed a risk again.
And now I had an additional motivation. Emilio. Safe in my apartment. Under my protection. Mine in ways that went beyond professional or physical.
I'd told him I protect what's mine. Time to prove exactly what that meant.
My phone buzzed. Text from Emilio:Are you okay?
I smiled and typed back:Fine. Handled the situation. Be home soon.
Home?he replied.
That's what I said. Get used to it.
No response to that. But I could imagine his expression. That mix of exasperation and reluctant acceptance that meant I was winning.
I was always winning.
And now I had everything I wanted. The case. The attorney. The man. All of it wrapped up in one brilliant, ethical, compromised package named Emilio Rossi.
Three days. That's all it had taken to make him mine completely.
The Costellos thought they could scare him off. Thought they could break what I was building.
