Chapter 6 - The Kitchen Infiltration
Downstairs, the kitchen was silent and dark, lit only by the faint green glow of the digital clock on the microwave. The shards of the plate I had broken the night before had been swept away, but the tension in the room remained, thick and electric.
At exactly ten-thirty, the heavy wooden lock on the service door click-clacked open. The hinges groaned as the door pushed inward, letting in the cold, wet wind and three dark silhouettes.
Dante Vale stepped into the kitchen first, his expensive leather jacket slick with rain, a silenced pistol raised in his right hand. His eyes scanned the darkness, his face twisted in a sneer of absolute contempt. Behind him were two heavy-set mercenary enforcers, their weapons drawn.
"Elena!" Dante hissed into the dark, stepping toward the center island. "Get out here, you stupid cow. We don't have time."
Silence answered him.
Dante’s brow furrowed. He walked toward the hallway leading to the east wing, but before he could take another step, the overhead industrial lights flashed on with blinding intensity.
Dante blocked his eyes with his forearm, his men immediately spinning around to cover the exits.
"Looking for your wife, Dante?"
Luca Moretti stood at the far entrance of the kitchen, leaning casually against the doorframe. He wasn't holding a weapon, but the absolute calm radiating from him was far more terrifying than any gun. Surrounding the kitchen windows and doors were a dozen Moretti operators, their red laser sights painting the chests of Dante’s men like crimson targets.
Dante slowly lowered his arm, his eyes widening as he realized he had walked directly into the slaughterhouse. "Moretti," he spat, trying to maintain his arrogant posture. "You think you’ve won? My men are controlling the docks right now. By morning, my syndicate will own your trade routes."
Marco Bellini stepped out from behind Luca, holding a tablet. "Actually, Dante, your men at the docks surrendered twenty minutes ago. The coast guard you bribed? They were replaced by federal agents using the transaction logs your late mother-in-law provided. Your weapons shipment has been seized, and your bank accounts are currently being drained by the asset forfeiture department."
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Dante’s weapon hand trembled. "That's impossible. She didn't know anything. Elena is too stupid to—"
"Elena is ten times the person you will ever be," Luca interrupted, his voice dropping into a lethal whisper. He stepped forward, the casual posture disappearing, replaced by the terrifying aura of the city's apex predator. "Drop the weapon, Dante. Or my men will see how many holes it takes to make you stop talking."
