Chapter 7 - Flames over the River
The victory at the Commission came with a heavy cost. Mateo Moretti was a cornered rat, and cornered rats do not follow the rules of war.
Three days after the tribunal, smoke billowed into the night sky over Chicago’s industrial district. The Moretti family had launched a series of scorched-earth arson attacks, setting fire to three of Enzo’s major warehouses along the Chicago River.
From the balcony of his penthouse, Enzo watched the red glow on the horizon, his face grim. Adeline stood beside him, wrapped in a dark coat against the chilly night wind.
"He's desperate," Adeline murmured. "He knows he can't win legally or through the Commission, so he's trying to drag you into the gutter with him."
"In the gutter is where I was born, Adeline," Enzo said softly, his voice heavy with a dangerous calm. "Mateo forgets that before I wore silk suits, I was a foot soldier in the alleyways."
Luca ran onto the balcony, his chest heaving. "Boss! The third warehouse at Pier 14 is fully engulfed! But that's not the worst of it—our scouts report that Mateo’s eldest son, Marco Moretti, has taken a team of mercenaries and is heading toward the estate!"
Enzo didn't flinch. "They think my guards are distracted by the fires."
"They're coming to kill you, boss," Luca said. "We need to evacuate you and Miss Croft to the safehouse in Wisconsin immediately."
"No," Enzo said flatly. "We do not run in my own house."
He turned to Adeline, his hands coming up to hold her shoulders firmly. His dark eyes searched her face with an intensity that made her blood run hot.
"I need you to go down to the reinforced vault beneath the wine cellar," Enzo said, his voice lowering. "Luca will lock you inside. It is bomb-proof, bullet-proof, and safe."
Adeline shook her head fiercely, grabbing his wrists. "No! I'm not hiding in a cellar while you fight!"
"Adeline, listen to me," Enzo commanded softly, his thumbs brushing across her cheekbones. "They are coming here for revenge. If Marco takes this house, he will show you no mercy. I cannot fight freely if I am worried about your safety."
"Enzo, please—"
"If anything happens to me," Enzo interrupted, reaching into his pocket and slipping a heavy brass key into her hand, "this key opens a safe deposit box at the First National Bank. It contains enough money, passports, and deeds to keep you and your brother safe for the rest of your lives."
Tears trickled down Adeline’s face. "I don't want your money, Enzo! I want you!"
The admission hung in the cold night air between them, raw and undeniable. Over the past weeks, the fierce, terrifying Mafia boss had become her protector, her anchor, and the man who had shown her more respect than anyone she had ever known.
Enzo’s eyes softened dramatically. He pulled her close, his lips meeting hers in a deep, fierce, and desperate kiss that tasted of wind, smoke, and unspoken devotion. Adeline melted into him, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as she kissed him back with all the passion she had kept hidden inside her heart.
When he finally pulled back, his breathing was heavy, his dark eyes glowing with an incredible fire.
"Now I have a reason to live through tonight," Enzo whispered against her lips. "Go to the vault, Adeline. I will come back for you. I promise."
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Luca gently led the tearful Adeline down into the dark stone depths of the estate, closing the massive iron door of the wine cellar vault behind her with a heavy, echoing CLANG.
Outside, the first gunshots shattered the quiet of the night.
