Chapter 7
The order was spoken quietly, but it carried the weight of a thunderclap.
"Lock down the hotel!" the lead capo roared, his voice echoing off the high ceilings. "Nobody in, nobody out! Secure all perimeters!"
Dozens of white American bodyguards in dark suits moved instantly. The heavy brass and glass doors of the grand foyer were violently pulled shut. Deadbolts snapped into place with loud, mechanical clicks. The guests attending the memorial reception murmured in sudden panic, huddling together near the center of the room. The bright, vivid colors of the foyer now felt like the walls of a brightly lit cage.
Matteo stood perfectly still, the heavy gold ring burning against his palm. He looked down at Celeste, who was weeping pathetically among the garment bags.
"Take her," Matteo instructed, pointing a tattooed finger at his fiancée. "Put her in the service elevator. Secure her in the basement holding room. Tie her to a chair."
"Matteo, no! Please!" Celeste screamed as two massive bodyguards grabbed her by the arms, hauling her roughly to her feet. "I am going to be your wife! You can't do this to me!"
"You were a business arrangement," Matteo replied, his voice a measured, cold drawl. "And your contract is officially terminated."
The guards dragged the thrashing, hysterical woman away, her diamond heels kicking uselessly against the marble floor.
"And him," Matteo added, gesturing to the unconscious Nolan. "Drag him down there as well. Wake him up. I will speak with him shortly."
Another pair of guards grabbed Nolan by the collar of his ruined formal suit, dragging his bleeding, limp body across the pristine carpet, leaving a faint crimson trail behind them.
Matteo turned his attention back to the terrified guests. He smoothed his thick, wavy hair, pushing a loose strand back into place. His movie-star handsome face was an unreadable mask of stone.
"To my guests," Matteo said, his voice projecting across the silent room. "I apologize for the disruption. Please return to the ballroom. The bar remains open. You will be free to leave once my security team has cleared the building. Until then, you are my guests."
It was a polite statement, but everyone in the room understood it was an absolute command. The guests quickly and silently filed back into the memorial ballroom, desperate to escape the freezing, intimidating glare of the Mafia Boss.
Once the foyer was mostly empty, save for his most trusted capos, Matteo knelt back down beside June and Ava.
"June," Matteo said softly. "You saved my daughter's life today. I do not forget loyalty."
"It was my duty, Mr. Savelli," June whispered, her fair cheeks flushing slightly. "She was so brave."
Matteo looked at his three-year-old daughter. He gently picked her up, resting her comfortably on his hip. He held up the heavy gold signet ring so she could see it.
"Ava, my sweet girl," Matteo murmured, his voice incredibly tender, a stark contrast to the violence he had just committed. "I need you to think very carefully. The man who gave you this ring. The man in Grandpa's coat. Did you see his face?"
Ava sniffled, wrapping her small arms around his neck. "No, Daddy. He had a big hat on. It covered his eyes."
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"Did he say anything to you?" Matteo asked, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Ava nodded slowly. "He told me to give it to you. He said... he said the wolves are in the house."
