Chapter 4
The tunnel smelled of damp stone and old wood.
Vittorio descended with four guards.
The passage split beneath the breakfast wing.
One direction led toward the kitchens.
The other toward the river gate.
Halfway down, they found fresh footprints.
Many.
Not Marcus alone.
At the far end sat six wooden wine crates.
Empty labels.
New hinges.
Vittorio opened one.
Not wine.
Dark suits.
Romano-style coats.
Black gloves.
Three spare family pins.
His expression hardened.
Men dressed to look like his own.
One guard whispered:
“Boss.”
He held up a folded route map.
Red pencil marks.
The east river gate.
Council wing.
Guest parking.
And three circles around vehicles belonging to Vittorio’s senior capos.
Not Vittorio.
Interesting.
He studied the names.
Joseph Carbone.
Frank Deluca.
Mason Rizzo.
Three men who had opposed reopening the old south-route war.
So had Vittorio.
His phone rang.
Security.
“Boss, east gate lock was manually bypassed.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Open?”
“Not now.”
“Can it be opened remotely?”
Pause.
“Yes.”
Vittorio looked at the crates.
“From where?”
“Old control box below the breakfast wing.”
Exactly where Marcus had been.
The plan sharpened.
Not assassination of Vittorio.
Something subtler.
Bring disguised men through a Romano gate.
Hit selected Romano capos.
Make survivors believe an outside crew penetrated the estate.
Force retaliation.
War.
Vittorio returned upstairs carrying the map.
Marcus saw it.
Closed his eyes.
Bianca looked confused.
She knew less.
Good.
Vittorio placed the map on the breakfast table.
“Who dies?”
Marcus said nothing.
Bianca stared at the circled names.
“What is that?”
Marcus looked toward her.
She understood.
“You said scare them.”
Marcus snapped:
“Shut up.”
There it was.
Vittorio looked at Bianca.
“What were you told?”
She folded her arms.
“Nothing.”
“Try again.”
She laughed.
“You don’t order me because you punched my brother.”
Vittorio stepped closer.
“No.”
“I order this house because you used my daughter as punishment furniture.”
Her face tightened.
Bianca fired back:
“She wouldn’t stop snooping.”
“She’s three.”
“She’s old enough to obey.”
Lucy flinched.
Vittorio saw.
Bianca kept going.
“Children need consequences.”
“What consequence fits seeing a map?”
Silence.
Vittorio looked at Marcus.
“Who is Caleb targeting?”
Marcus said nothing.
Then Lucy whispered:
“Mr. Caleb says Daddy is too soft.”
Every adult in the room froze.
Vittorio turned slowly.
Lucy continued:
“He said Daddy won’t start the big fight.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
Bianca stared at the child.
“You little—”
Vittorio looked at her.
She stopped.
Lucy buried her face against Emma.
But she had already given Vittorio the motive.
May you like
This wasn’t only a coup inside his home.
Someone wanted to drag the Romano organization back into a war Vittorio had refused to start.
