Chapter 20 - THE UNFINISHED PAST|
Two years later.
A crisp autumn afternoon at the city cemetery. The wind rustled through the golden leaves falling off the oak trees.
Vincent stood before a white marble headstone bearing the name Maria Torino. He laid a fresh bouquet of white lilies—plucked from Elena’s shop that morning—gently onto the grave.
"I kept my promise, Maria," Vincent whispered softly to the cold stone. "I found joy again. And I protected a little girl from learning fear."
Behind him, footsteps approached on the gravel path.
Elena and nine-year-old Sophie walked up, wrapping their coats tightly against the autumn chill. Sophie held a drawn card she had made, placing it gently next to the flowers.
"Ready to go home, Vincent?" Elena asked softly, holding out her hand.
Vincent looked at them, a smile breaking across his face. "Yes. Let's go home."
They walked back toward their car together, a complete, healed family silhouette against the setting sun.
Ten miles away, deep inside the high-security ward of the Illinois State Penitentiary.
A guard slammed open a cell door. "Razer Rodriguez. You've got a visitor."
Razer, looking older, rougher, and deeply scarred from two years in prison, sneered as he stepped into the glass visiting booth. He picked up the plastic telephone receiver.
Sitting on the other side of the thick glass was a man in an expensive Italian suit—a face Razer hadn't seen in years. It was Frank Moretti’s younger brother, Leo, who had just returned from exile in Europe.
"Leo," Razer gritted out through the glass. "I thought you were dead."
"I was waiting," Leo Moretti replied, his voice cold, calm, and terrifyingly familiar. "Waiting for Torino to get comfortable. Waiting for him to drop his guard."
Leo leaned closer to the glass, a dark, sinister smile spreading across his face.
"I hear the great Don Torino runs a flower shop now," Leo whispered into the receiver. "I hear he has a sweet little family on Halsted Street."
May you like
Razer’s eyes lit up with a dangerous, vengeful spark. "What are you planning, Leo?"
Leo Moretti slowly set down the receiver, tapped his fingers against the glass three times, and offered a chilling smile that signaled the peaceful storm was about to break once again...
