Chapter 6 - The Snake Tattoo
|
The morning of the wedding dawned cold and overcast. The sky above Lake Michigan was a bruised, heavy gray, threatening rain.
Alessandro stood in the master bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror as he shaved. He heard the bedroom door open, followed by the soft, padded footsteps of bare feet on the hardwood floor.
Genevieve slipped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her face against his bare back.
“Good morning, my love,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
Alessandro’s muscles went rigid. Every instinct he had developed on the streets screamed at him to turn around and break her neck. Her touch, which he had craved just yesterday, now felt like the cold, slimy scales of a venomous snake.
He forced his body to relax. He placed his hands over hers.
“Good morning,” he replied, keeping his voice smooth. “You shouldn't be here. It’s bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony.”
“I don't believe in luck,” Genevieve laughed softly, kissing his shoulder blade. “I believe in destiny. I can't wait to be your wife, Alessandro.”
“I can't wait to give you everything you deserve,” he said, the double meaning tasting like ash in his mouth.
She kissed his cheek and slipped out of the bathroom to return to the bridal suite.
Once she was gone, Matteo entered the room through the private servant corridor. He carried a secure tablet.
“We have a problem, Boss,” Matteo said, keeping his voice low. “I pulled the security footage from the catering loading dock this morning. Look at this.”
Matteo handed him the tablet. The footage showed a delivery van unloading crates of champagne. One of the men carrying a crate had his sleeve rolled up. On his inner forearm was a distinct, dark tattoo of a snake wrapping around a dagger.
“Silas,” Alessandro recognized the name Amara had mentioned.
“Silas Vance,” Matteo confirmed. “He’s a ghost, Alessandro. A top-tier hitman and infiltration specialist for the Falcones. He’s disguised as one of the catering supervisors. He’s already inside the house, and he brought his own crew with him.”
Alessandro wiped the remaining shaving cream from his face with a hot towel. “How many men did he bring?”
May you like
“At least twelve. They’re armed, disguised as waiters and valets.”
“Let them serve the champagne,” Alessandro ordered coldly. “But prep our men in the basement armory. When the vows are done, nobody leaves this estate alive.”
