Chapter 20 - The Unseen Horizon
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“Sorry to interrupt, Boss,” Matteo said, his voice tense, glancing nervously at Elena.
“What is it, Matteo?” Luca asked, not letting go of his wife, though his posture instantly shifted back into the rigid stance of a mafia king.
Matteo held out a sleek, unfamiliar black cell phone.
“This was left at the front gate, sir. In a sealed box. The guards didn't see who dropped it. There was a note attached. It said, 'For the groom's ears only.'”
Luca frowned. He took the phone.
The moment his fingers touched the screen, it rang. An encrypted, untraceable international number.
Luca answered, putting the phone to his ear.
“Ferraro,” he said coldly.
A smooth, heavily accented voice echoed through the speaker. It was not a New York accent. It sounded European. Old money. Old power.
“Congratulations on your nuptials, Mr. Ferraro,” the voice purred. “Your bride is stunning. And your handling of the Moretti situation was... aggressive. But effective.”
“Who is this?” Luca demanded, signaling Matteo to start a trace, though he knew it would be useless.
“A mutual friend,” the voice replied. “You have made quite a bit of noise on the eastern seaboard, Luca. Eliminating an entire family without permission from the Global Syndicate has drawn our attention.”
Luca’s blood ran cold. The Global Syndicate was a myth. A whisper among bosses about a shadow organization that controlled the cartels, the mob, and the governments from Europe to South America.
“I don't answer to ghosts,” Luca growled.
“You will answer to us,” the voice chuckled darkly. “Enjoy your honeymoon, Luca. Keep your beautiful new wife and your daughter close. Because when the time comes to collect our tax on your new territory, we expect you to pay. Or we will take it from you in blood.”
The line went dead.
Luca lowered the phone, staring out at the pitch-black ocean.
“Luca?” Elena asked, sensing the sudden, dangerous shift in his demeanor. “What’s wrong?”
Luca turned to her, forcing a calm, reassuring smile, though his heart was pounding a frantic rhythm of war. He reached out and touched her cheek.
“Nothing, my love,” Luca lied softly, looking past her to the dark horizon. “Just a wrong number.”
May you like
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tighter than ever before. The local war was over. But a much larger, darker storm was gathering just beyond the horizon, and the real fight for his family had only just begun.
To be continued...
