Chapter 7 - The Man Vincent Thought He Had Buried
Vincent’s father had been buried eight years earlier.
Maria knew that much.
Everyone did.
Carlo Moretti’s funeral had drawn politicians, judges, businessmen, and half the organized-crime figures on the East Coast.
Vincent himself had carried the coffin.
Yet the gate camera showed an elderly man standing beneath the security light.
Straight-backed.
Silver-haired.
Cane in his right hand.
Carlo Moretti.
Alive.
Vincent stared at the monitor.
Nobody spoke.
Then Antonio laughed once.
Not from humor.
“Now you understand why I stayed dead.”
Vincent turned toward him.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“You let me bury my father.”
“I was trying not to be buried beside him.”
Vincent faced the screen again.
Carlo looked directly into the camera.
“Vincent.”
The intercom carried his voice.
Older.
But unmistakable.
“Open the gate.”
Vincent’s expression became unreadable.
Maria saw something beneath the anger.
A child’s betrayal.
The kind no adult completely outgrew.
Elena stepped beside him.
“Don’t.”
“He’s my father.”
“He used Lucia.”
Vincent’s eyes moved toward her.
Elena held his gaze.
“Diego named him.”
The video from Maria’s husband had revealed what none of them wanted to believe.
Carlo Moretti had arranged the war with DeLuca.
Carlo had recruited Rocco.
Carlo had staged his own death.
And according to Diego, Carlo had wanted Vincent broken enough to become ruthless.
Lucia had become collateral.
Or perhaps bait.
Vincent pressed the intercom.
“Why are you alive?”
Carlo smiled at the camera.
“Because dead men have freedom.”
“What do you want?”
“To see my son.”
“You lost that privilege eight years ago.”
Carlo’s smile faded.
“You’re angry.”
“My daughter died while you hid.”
“Yes.”
The simple answer stunned everyone.
Vincent gripped the console.
“You knew.”
“I knew she survived the explosion.”
Elena gasped.
Vincent’s voice lowered.
“You knew she was alive.”
“For three days.”
“And you did nothing.”
Carlo looked almost annoyed.
“I did what was necessary.”
Vincent stepped away from the screen.
Maria had never seen such controlled fury.
Carlo continued.
“Bring the Alvarez woman.”
Maria stiffened.
Vincent looked back.
“No.”
“She has something that belongs to me.”
“No.”
“The ledger.”
Vincent said nothing.
Carlo smiled.
“So you found it.”
The gate guards awaited instruction.
Vincent pressed the intercom again.
“You’re not entering my house.”
“It was mine before it was yours.”
“Not anymore.”
Carlo leaned closer to the camera.
“Then perhaps you should look at the other feed.”
Marco checked the monitors.
His face changed.
“Boss.”
A second camera showed Maria’s sister.
Isabel.
Bound to a chair.
Her husband beside her.
Alive.
Terrified.
Maria rushed toward the screen.
“No.”
Carlo’s voice continued.
“I came prepared.”
Vincent looked at Maria.
She could barely breathe.
Sofia stared at the screen.
“Aunt Izzy?”
Maria turned her away.
Vincent pressed the intercom.
“You touch them, I kill every man you have left.”
Carlo chuckled.
“That temper is why you were never ready.”
Vincent’s eyes hardened.
“What do you want?”
“The drive.”
“And Maria?”
“Insurance.”
“No.”
“Then Isabel Alvarez loses a finger in five minutes.”
Maria spun toward Vincent.
“Give him the drive.”
Vincent looked at her.
“It won’t end there.”
“That’s my sister.”
“I know.”
“Then give it to him.”
“He’ll kill witnesses.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know him.”
“So do I now.”
Maria pointed toward the screen.
“You have spent all night telling me you will protect my family. Protect her.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
Carlo’s voice came through again.
“Four minutes.”
Vincent turned toward Marco.
“Prepare the front courtyard.”
Elena grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Buying time.”
“Vincent—”
He looked at Antonio.
“You said Carlo worked through intermediaries.”
“Yes.”
“How many men are loyal to him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Guess.”
“Maybe twelve inside your organization.”
Vincent nodded.
“Then tonight we find them.”
He took the USB drive.
Maria blocked him.
“You’re not going alone.”
“Yes, I am.”
“My family is involved.”
“That is why you stay with Sofia.”
Maria’s anger flared.
“You do not get to decide everything.”
“No.”
Vincent lowered his voice.
“But I decide who walks toward armed men in my courtyard.”
“Then I’m coming.”
“No.”
“Vincent.”
It was the first time she had used his first name.
He noticed.
So did she.
His expression softened for a fraction of a second.
Then he leaned closer.
“Maria, if something happens to me, Marco gets you and Sofia out.”
Her chest tightened.
“Don’t say that.”
“If something happens—”
“I said don’t.”
They stared at each other.
Sofia walked between them.
She grabbed Vincent’s hand.
“No dying.”
Vincent looked down.
A smile finally touched his mouth.
“I’ll try.”
“That’s not yes.”
Maria almost laughed through her fear.
Vincent crouched.
“Yes.”
Sofia nodded.
“Okay.”
He stood.
Maria looked at him.
“You made a promise.”
“I know.”
Vincent walked toward the passage.
Then stopped.
Without turning, he said, “If I come back, we revisit my proposal.”
Maria stared.
“You choose now?”
“I like incentives.”
“You’re impossible.”
He looked back at her.
For the first time that night, he smiled.
Then he left.
The courtyard meeting lasted eleven minutes.
Maria watched through the camera.
Carlo entered alone.
Vincent walked toward him carrying the USB drive.
Father and son faced each other beneath stone arches.
Carlo held out his hand.
Vincent did not give him the drive.
They spoke.
The camera had no audio.
Maria watched Carlo smile.
Vincent’s face remained stone.
Then six Moretti guards moved.
Not toward Carlo.
Toward Vincent.
Maria’s heart stopped.
Traitors.
Marco swore.
“We go now.”
Antonio grabbed a rifle.
Elena looked at Maria.
“Stay here.”
Maria stared at the feed.
Carlo stepped closer to his son.
Six guns pointed at Vincent.
Then something happened.
Vincent laughed.
Carlo’s smile disappeared.
More men emerged from the shadows.
Not Carlo’s.
Vincent’s.
The six traitors were surrounded.
Marco exhaled.
“He knew.”
Vincent had predicted the betrayal.
But Carlo still smiled.
He said something.
Vincent’s expression changed.
Then Carlo pulled a phone from his pocket.
The monitor showing Isabel flickered.
Maria stepped closer.
Her sister’s chair was empty.
The ropes lay cut.
For one second, Maria felt relief.
Then the camera shifted.
Isabel stood behind another chair.
Holding a gun.
Pointed at her own husband.
Maria whispered, “No.”
A text appeared on Vincent’s security console.
It came from Isabel’s phone.
MARIA, DON’T TRUST ANYONE.
A second message followed.
ESPECIALLY ME.
The live feed cut to black.
Then the secret passage door behind Maria clicked open.
May you like
Someone entered from the darkness.
And Isabel’s voice said, “I’m sorry.”
