The air in the study froze. Carmine's mouth hung open. Julian's eyes widened. He looked like he'd prepared several contingency plans, only for me to surrender before he'd finished round one.
"You—you serious?"
"The transfer documents will be delivered by Luca tomorrow. Territory, business, connections, funds—everything's in there. Just sign." I tucked the gun back in my waistband. "Now. Tell me where she is."
"Enzo!" Carmine slapped the armrest, struggling to get up. "You can't do this!"
"Shut up, Carmine." I didn't even glance at him. "From today on, the only thing you need to do is keep your mouth shut and heal that leg. Otherwise, the next shot won't be in your leg."
The old man's lips trembled, but no words came out.
Julian stared at me for a long time. The calculation and mockery in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by something complicated. Probably confused that the position he'd fought for, dreamed of for so long, suddenly came to him so easily. Before joy could arrive, confusion hit first.
"North Carolina," Julian said. "Small town out there."
Chloe was alive. She was somewhere on this earth.
That hope burned into my brain. I turned toward the door, moving three times faster than when I came in.
"Enzo," Carmine called after me.
"Was it worth it? Giving up everything you spent thirty years building—for a woman?"
I didn't turn around. Didn't bother answering.
Outside the manor, the sky was still dark.
Luca saw the wound on my left arm and the blood on my shirt. His face changed. He pulled out the first aid kit from the trunk. I waved him off, got in the car, and said three words.
"Airport."
"Let me look at your arm first." Luca's eyes lingered on my wound.
"Airport!"
Luca shut his mouth and started the engine.
On the way, I told him to hand everything over to Julian. Luca reacted exactly as I expected. His hands tightened on the steeringwheel. Two minutes of silence. For Luca, that was an emotional collapse.
"What did you give Julian?"
"Everything."
"What do you mean, everything?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Territory, business, connections, money. Everything."
Another minute of silence. Then Luca's voice came muffled from behind the steering wheel.
"Fuck. That doesn't include me, right?"
"It does. But you're free to leave."
Luca didn't ask anything else. He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, then looked back at the road.
At the airport, a small helicopter was already waiting on the tarmac. The rotor wind whipped my clothes violently. The bandage on my left arm seeped another ring of blood. Before I climbed into the cabin, Luca called out.
"Enzo."
