Chapter 5 - The Bell Rings
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“Derek,” Nikki whispered, his voice trembling so badly it was barely audible.
“What?” Derek snapped, adjusting his leather jacket.
Nikki slowly raised a shaking finger, pointing through the large front window of the diner. He was looking past the red, cursive lettering painted on the glass, staring out at the grey Brooklyn street.
A sleek, heavily tinted black sedan had just stopped at the curb, directly in the no-parking zone.
Two massive men wearing tailored dark coats stepped out of the front doors. They moved with a terrifying, synchronized efficiency. Then, the rear passenger door opened.
A third man stepped out onto the sidewalk. He was older, with striking silver hair at his temples, wearing an impeccably tailored charcoal suit. He didn't rush. He moved with the slow, deliberate grace of an apex predator who knew the entire jungle belonged to him.
“Look at the door, Derek,” Nikki pleaded, taking a slow step backward.
The brass bell above the diner door rang with a sharp, clear chime.
Vincent Castellano stepped inside.
The chaotic noise inside the diner evaporated instantly. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. Tony lowered his spatula. Angela froze mid-step. Even the sizzling of the grill in the back seemed to quiet down out of sheer respect.
Vincent did not look at Derek first.
His dark, calculating eyes went straight to the floor. He saw Amelia lying beside the counter, blood pooling slightly from a cut on her cheek, staining the pristine white apron that bore his family’s name. Angela had dropped to her knees next to her, clutching a folded white towel in one hand, trying desperately to make her voice steady as she whispered Amelia’s name.
Vincent stood perfectly still on the worn entrance mat.
For a long, agonizing moment, he said absolutely nothing. The silence in the diner was heavier than a physical weight.
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Then, very slowly, Vincent lifted his gaze and looked directly at Derek Lawson.
The arrogant grin on Derek’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, suffocating dread.
