Chapter 10
The heavy silence of the night settled back over the estate. The sharp metallic scent of gunpowder and blood hung thick in the cool air. From the balcony, Domenico looked down at the ruined convoy and the bodies of his enemies scattered across the cobblestones. The war had been won in less than a minute.
"Secure the courtyard," Domenico ordered his men through a secure radio. "Check for survivors. Leave none."
He turned away from the balcony, walking slowly back into the brilliantly lit interior of his home. His tailored three-piece suit was completely unblemished. The deep, masculine, intimidating aura he projected was entirely calm. He holstered his weapon, adjusting his cuffs as he navigated the grand marble corridors.
He descended the staircase leading to the lower levels, heading toward the soundproof holding cells where his aunt and cousin were locked away. The physical threat to his family had been eliminated, but the traitors who had invited the wolves into his home remained.
Two bodyguards stood outside the heavy steel door of the holding area. They opened it immediately as Domenico approached.
Inside the stark, brightly lit room, Genevieve and Adrian were chained to heavy metal chairs. They looked up, their fair faces pale and exhausted. The distant, muffled sound of the gunfire had reached them, and the sheer terror in their eyes confirmed they knew exactly what it meant.
"Domenico," Adrian whispered, his voice trembling. "What... what happened?"
"Chicago came," Domenico stated softly, stopping in the center of the room. His cold, sharp eyes bored into his cousin. "They expected an open gate and a bankrupt empire. Instead, they found a graveyard."
Genevieve let out a pathetic sob, dropping her head. The final shred of hope for their rescue was entirely gone.
"You killed them," Genevieve wept. "You killed the entire strike team."
"I protected my house," Domenico corrected her, his voice a low, lethal hum. "From the enemies outside, and the enemies within."
He looked at Adrian, his sharply defined jawline ticking with cold calculation. "You believed I was weak because I played with my daughter. You believed my focus was divided. But you failed to realize that my love for her is the exact reason I will never hesitate to destroy anyone who threatens my peace."
"What are you going to do to us?" Adrian asked, tears finally spilling over his bruised cheeks.
Domenico did not answer immediately. He stared at the two people who shared his blood, weighing the cost of their treason. He was a veteran Mafia Don, a man who ruled through fear and absolute authority. The punishment had to fit the crime.
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"You will remain in this room," Domenico whispered, turning his back on them. "Until I decide whether you die in the dark, or if I let you live long enough to watch me take everything you ever loved."
He walked out of the cell, the heavy steel door slamming shut behind him with a definitive, echoing clang. The estate was safe. His daughter was sleeping peacefully. And the Caruso empire was absolute.
