Chapter 18 - War Council
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Vincent’s jaw tightened. He placed both hands on the table, leaning in close to her.
“Amelia, you don't understand what is about to happen,” Vincent warned, his voice urgent. “This isn't a fistfight in an alley. This is a syndicate war. The streets are going to run with blood. The Morettis know you are important to me. If you stay in the city, you will be a massive target.”
“And if I leave, I’ll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder,” Amelia countered, standing up to meet his gaze. “I ran from Raymond for three years. I let fear control every breath I took. You taught me that I don't have to do that anymore.”
Vincent stared at her, genuinely stunned by her fierce bravery. The fragile, terrified waitress he had picked up off the floor was gone, replaced by a woman forged in fire.
“I belong here,” Amelia said, looking around the diner. “This is my home. If you go to war, I will stay here and keep the coffee hot for your men when they get back.”
A heavy silence stretched between them. Marco and the other capos watched in stunned disbelief as a waitress successfully argued with the Godfather.
Finally, a slow, proud smile touched the corners of Vincent’s mouth.
“You are the bravest woman I have ever met,” Vincent murmured. He turned to Marco. “Lock the diner down. Pull the steel shutters over the windows. I want ten men stationed inside, and five on the roof. No one gets within a block of this place without catching a bullet.”
“Yes, Boss,” Marco nodded, immediately barking orders into his radio.
The diner transformed rapidly. Heavy steel blast shutters rolled down over the front windows, plunging the restaurant into artificial light. Sandbags were pulled from the basement and stacked near the doors.
Vincent walked Amelia behind the counter, handing her a heavy bulletproof vest.
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“Put this on,” Vincent ordered gently, helping her strap it over her white apron. “And stay away from the doors.”
Amelia secured the vest, her heart pounding against her ribs. The war had officially arrived at the doorstep of Castellano’s Diner.
