Chapter 19 - The Punishment
|
“You played a very dangerous game tonight, Mr. Rienzi,” the distorted voice chuckled. The sound was metallic and grating against Alessandro’s ear. “You thought you were so clever, locking the doors, burning our servers, letting the little bride run for her life.”
Alessandro gripped the phone tighter, his knuckles turning white. “The Falcones are dead. Your accounts are zeroed out. You have nothing left to negotiate with.”
“Money is just paper, Alessandro,” the voice replied smoothly. “It can be rebuilt. It can be extorted. But leverage... leverage is a much more valuable currency.”
“I have no leverage left to give you,” Alessandro said coldly, scanning the dark tree line surrounding his estate, his hand instinctively reaching for the weapon holstered under his arm. “If you step foot in Chicago, you die.”
“We are already in Chicago, Alessandro. We never left.”
A horrific, suffocating panic began to claw its way up Alessandro’s throat. He turned around, looking back at the massive, glowing mansion. Everything was quiet. The guards were patrolling the perimeter. Matteo was supposed to be securing the basement holding cells.
“What do you want?” Alessandro demanded, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper.
“You took our lifeblood tonight,” the voice said, entirely devoid of humor now. “You stripped us bare and humiliated us in front of the Commission. You took everything we loved. So, we decided it was only fair to return the favor.”
Alessandro’s heart stopped.
He sprinted across the lawn, his expensive shoes slipping on the wet grass. He burst through the back doors of the mansion, ignoring the startled shouts of his own security team.
He ran toward the main staircase, taking the steps three at a time, his chest heaving with exertion and terror. He reached the second-floor landing and sprinted down the long, carpeted corridor toward the guest wing.
“Matteo!” Alessandro roared, his voice echoing violently through the empty house.
May you like
There was no answer.
He reached the end of the hall. The heavy oak door to the master guest suite—the room where he had ordered Matteo to temporarily hold Fatima and Amara while the transport car arrived—was wide open.
