Chapter 10 - The Phantom Patriarch
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Dante stood up slowly, stepping back from the bed as if the air itself had turned to poison.
Carmine. His father’s brother. The man who had taught Dante how to shoot, who had bought him his first suit, who had wept at their father’s funeral. Carmine was orchestrating a massive, bloody coup to wipe out his own nephews and consolidate the entire eastern seaboard under his absolute control.
"He played us," Dante whispered, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. "He used Vincenzo to hire the Russians, keeping his own hands clean. If we went to war with the Bratva, we would wipe each other out, and Carmine would swoop in as the savior to claim the ashes."
Elina shivered, holding Mia tightly. "He’s going to send more men, Dante. If he finds out Matteo is awake and can identify him as the mastermind, he will never stop hunting us."
"Then we make sure he doesn't find out," Dante said, his voice dropping into a cold, terrifying register.
Dante turned to Nina. "Can he be moved again?"
"No," Nina stated firmly. "The stress of the attack and waking up has spiked his intracranial pressure. If you move him now, he will die."
"Then we stay," Dante decided. He looked at his head of security. "Lorenzo, I want you to spread a rumor in the city. Tell the capos that the Russians breached the safe house tonight. Tell them I barely escaped with my life, and that Matteo was killed in the crossfire."
Lorenzo’s eyes widened. "Boss, if the families think Matteo is dead, it will cause mass panic. Carmine will immediately call a Commission meeting to claim your territory."
"Exactly," Dante smiled, a dark, predatory expression that made Elina’s heart skip a beat. "Let my Uncle think he won. Let him get comfortable on the throne. Arrogance breeds mistakes."
Dante looked at Elina, his gaze softening completely. "You and Mia are staying here with Nina and a heavily armed detail. I have to go back to the city to play the grieving brother."
"I don't want you to go," Elina admitted, her voice trembling. "He'll kill you, Dante."
Dante walked over, gently cupping her face in his large, calloused hands. "He will try. But I have something to fight for now. I promise you, Elina, I will come back to you."
May you like
He leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead. It was a promise sealed in the dark.
As Dante walked out into the cold night to return to the viper’s nest, Elina watched his taillights disappear, knowing the real war had only just begun.
