"Let them get close. I want to see Ricci's face when he realizes he's been played."
Another buzz. Dante:Giuseppe's at the door. Francesco is with him. About to breach.
I'd given Francesco explicit instructions—get Giuseppe inside the building, then hit the floor. After that, my snipers would handle the rest.
Marco's tablet lit up with the live feed from Queens. I watched as Giuseppe's men approached the safe house, weapons drawn. Francesco hung back slightly, as instructed. The door opened—
Then chaos.
Flashbangs detonated simultaneously. My men poured from concealed positions. Giuseppe's soldiers went down in a coordinated strike—non-lethal shots, precise and professional. We needed Giuseppe alive. For now.
Through the feed, I watched Giuseppe stumble backward, disoriented by the flashbang. Two of my men tackled him, zip-tying his hands before he could draw his weapon. Francesco had dropped flat at the first explosion, playing his role perfectly.
Giuseppe secured. Zero casualties on our side. Six of his men down, two escaped.
"Good," I murmured. One problem solved.
"Boss." Marco's voice was tight. "We've got company."
I pocketed my phone and turned to see Salvatore Ricci emerge from the shadows, flanked by six heavily armed men—half his force, just asMarco had predicted. The clever bastard had split his people for better coverage.
Ricci and I had history—he'd testified against me during my trial, helping send me to prison while he consolidated power. This wasn't just business. This was personal.
"Luca Romano." Ricci's voice carried across the empty warehouse. "I admit, I'm impressed. Most men would have simply handed over the girl and begged for mercy."
"I don't beg," I said, stepping into a shaft of moonlight so he could see me clearly. "And I don't negotiate with dead men."
Ricci laughed, the sound echoing off concrete walls. "Bold words for someone outnumbered two-to-one."
"You think those are the only men I brought?" I smiled coldly. "You really should have done better reconnaissance."
On cue, red laser sights appeared on every one of Ricci's men—targeting dots from the snipers positioned above and around us. Ricci's eyes widened as he registered the dozen points of light painting his soldiers.
"Now," I continued, voice conversational, "here's what's going to happen. You're going to tell me every detail of your arrangement with Giuseppe Moretti. Every contact, every planned move, every piece of leverage you think you have. And then—" I drew my gun, "—I'm going to decide whether you die quickly or slowly."
Ricci's jaw tightened. "You think killing me solves your problems? I have powerful friends. People who will—"
"Your 'powerful friends' are the reason you're here alone." I gestured to his men. "These soldiers are contractors—they'll scatter the moment you're dead. Your Calabrese connections have already started distancing themselves. I made sure of that three days ago whenI bought out your primary weapon suppliers and convinced your money launderer to relocate to Argentina."
The color drained from Ricci's face. He hadn't known. Hadn't realized how thoroughly I'd been dismantling his operation while he'd been focused on Giuseppe's elaborate plans.
"You've been playing checkers," I said. "I've been playing chess."
"You smug son of a—" Ricci lunged for his weapon.
The shot rang out before his hand reached his holster. Marco's bullet took him in the shoulder, spinning him around. Ricci hit the ground hard, gasping, blood spreading across his expensive suit.
His men froze, laser sights tracking their every movement.
"Drop your weapons," Marco ordered. "Now."
One by one, they complied. Smart men who recognized a losing position. Within seconds, my soldiers had them disarmed and zip-tied, kneeling in a line against the warehouse wall.
I crouched beside Ricci, who was clutching his bleeding shoulder and glaring at me with pure hatred.
"The arrangement with Giuseppe," I prompted. "Talk."
Through gritted teeth, Ricci spat out the details. The plan had been simple but effective—destabilize both the Romano and Moretti families by exposing the fake marriage, trigger a war, then sweep in during the chaos to claim territory from both sides. Giuseppe would get the Moretti empire. Ricci would take Romano holdings. They'd divide the city between them.
