Chapter 4 - The Safe House
The safe house smelled of aged bourbon, old leather, and cedarwood. Located inside a converted brick warehouse deep within the industrial district, the interior was a masterclass in calculated paranoia. Bulletproof glass lined the high-arched windows, and a bank of glowing monitors flickered against the far wall, casting an eerie blue light over the room.
Celeste was thrown into a wooden chair in the center of the room, her elegant makeup smeared with tears, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"You're dead," Celeste spat, glaring up at Lorenzo, who stood pouring a glass of amber liquid from a crystal decanter. "My father's syndicate will tear this city apart brick by brick when they find out what you've done. You think you're untouchable, Lorenzo, but you're just a thug with a fancy suit."
Lorenzo didn't even look at her. He took a slow sip of his bourbon, savoring the burn before setting the glass down on a mahogany desk.
"Your father’s syndicate is currently scrambling to delete their server history in Zurich, Celeste," Lorenzo said smoothly. "By morning, the Vane family assets will be frozen by federal investigators who received a very detailed, anonymous tip about your offshore shipping accounts. You didn't just try to kill me tonight; you overplayed your hand. And in my world, amateurs who miss their mark don't get a second chance."
He turned his cold, piercing gaze toward Evelyn, who was standing near the door, keeping a safe distance from both of them.
"As for you, Evelyn," Lorenzo said, walking slowly across the room. "You haven't told me how you knew. The Vane family planned that hit in absolute secrecy. Not even my own capos knew about the C4 charges in the north corridor."
Evelyn met his gaze without flinching. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small, encrypted flash drive, placing it gently on the edge of the desk.
"My brother Leo was an accountant for the Vane syndicate," Evelyn said, her voice dropping an octave as a hard, bitter edge crept into her tone. "Three months ago, he found out they were using La Tavola d’Oro as a laundering front. He tried to walk away. They didn't fire him, Mr. Moretti. They threw him off the balcony of his high-rise and called it a suicide."
The room grew deadly silent.
May you like
"I spent the last three months working twelve-hour shifts at that restaurant waiting for an opening," Evelyn continued, stepping closer to the desk. "I hacked into Celeste’s personal tablet while clearing her table last Tuesday. I found the blueprints, the timeline, and the text messages confirming the hit for tonight. I didn't save you out of loyalty, Lorenzo. I saved you because I knew you were the only man in Chicago with enough firepower to tear the Vane empire down to the ground."
Lorenzo stared at her for a long, heavy moment. Then, slowly, a dangerous, appreciative smile touched the corners of his mouth.
