Chapter 9 - The Fall of the Traitor
"Don't take another step!" Vance screamed, aiming his revolver directly at Noah’s head. "One more step and I blow his brains out across this catwalk!"
I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart lodging in my throat. "Please!" I begged, falling to my knees on the dirty concrete floor. "Please, don't hurt him! Take me instead! Shoot me!"
"Rachel, get up," Luca commanded softly, his dark eyes fixed entirely on Vance above. "Julian, look at me."
Vance glared down at Luca. "What?"
"You think you brought me here on your terms," Luca said, taking a slow, calm step up the iron staircase leading to the catwalk. "You think you jammed my communications. You think my men are at the docks."
Vance’s eyes flickered with a sudden seed of doubt. "What are you talking about?"
"Check your red tie, Julian," Luca said smoothly.
Vance frowned, looking down at his silk red tie.
Click.
A tiny red laser dot appeared directly on Vance’s forehead. Then another. And another.
Through the high glass skylights of the shipyard, shadowy figures dropped down on tactical ropes—Marco and a dozen elite Romano operatives, their silenced rifles trained on Vance from every angle.
"Did you really think I didn't track the signal from the elevator keycard you stole three weeks ago?" Luca asked, his voice low and predatory as he climbed the final steps of the catwalk. "I knew where you were every second of every day, Julian. I let you take the boy because I needed you to bring every single one of your New York backers into one room."
Vance’s face went chalk-white. He panicked, raising the detonator. "I’ll blow this whole place to—"
THWACK.
A single silenced shot echoed through the rafters. Vance’s wrist shattered, the detonator tumbling from his hand and plunging four stories into the black ocean below.
Vance screamed in agony, falling back against the railing.
Luca closed the distance in a fraction of a second. He grabbed Vance by the collar of his expensive jacket, lifting the man off his feet and shoving him over the rusted guardrail. Vance dangled four stories above the hard concrete, weeping and screaming for mercy.
"Please, Luca! We were brothers! We built the Marquette together!" Vance sobbed.
"You threatened my family," Luca said, his voice as dark and cold as the ocean outside. "And in my world, that is a death sentence."
Luca let go.
Vance’s scream cut off instantly as he plummeted into the darkness below.
Before the body even hit the ground, I was sprinting up the iron stairs. "Noah! NOAH!"
Luca pulled out a pocket knife, quickly cutting the ropes binding Noah’s tiny hands and legs, and gently peeled the tape from his mouth.
"MOMMY!" Noah wailed, throwing his arms around my neck as I pulled him into my lap, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mommy, the bad man took my dinosaur!"
"I know, baby, I know! You're safe now! You're safe!" I cried, burying my face in his soft hair, holding him as if I would never let go.
Luca dropped to his knees beside us. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the green stuffed dinosaur, slightly dirty but intact, and handed it to Noah.
"I kept it safe for you, little man," Luca said softly, his dangerous persona melting away completely.
May you like
Noah grabbed the dinosaur, then reached out his other arm and wrapped it around Luca’s neck, pulling the feared mob boss into a tight embrace. "Thank you, Mr. Luca."
Luca froze for a second, startled by the innocent affection, before his powerful arms wrapped around both Noah and me, pulling us tight against his chest.
