Chapter 6 – The Brothers’ Fall
I threw the tiny roll of microfilm across the room. Luca caught it with one hand, never taking his eyes off his brother.
Silvio laughed, a nervous, jagged sound. “Luca, listen to me. This maid is crazy. She attacked me upstairs. I came down here to secure the guests.”
“Shut up,” Luca said quietly.
He didn’t yell. The sheer lack of emotion in his voice was terrifying.
Luca tossed the microfilm to Dante, his most loyal captain, who had silently filed into the room behind him. “Dante. Verify it.”
Dante pulled a jeweler’s loupe from his pocket and held the film up to the light. He read for a moment in silence.
“It’s real, Boss,” Dante said heavily. “Offshore transfers. Ten million over the last five years. Routed through Vanessa’s accounts, authorized by Silvio.”
Silvio’s shoulders dropped. The lie was over.
“You were stealing from the family,” Luca said, his voice breaking slightly. “You were stealing from our father’s legacy.”
“Father’s legacy?” Silvio spat, suddenly spinning around to face Luca. The two guards behind him nervously lowered their weapons, unsure of who to follow. “Father gave you everything! You were the golden boy! I ran the streets, I got my hands dirty, and he handed the empire to you!”
“So you tried to kill me,” Luca said. “Seventeen years ago. At the docks.”
Silvio sneered. “I missed. The coward Bishop jumped in the way.”
Walter let out an agonizing cry.
Luca’s jaw clenched. “Daniel Bishop was ten times the man you will ever be.”
“He was a mechanic!” Silvio roared. “A nobody! And you treated him better than your own blood!”
“He was my brother,” Luca said softly. “You’re just a parasite.”
Silvio’s eyes flared with pure hatred. He suddenly raised his gun, aiming directly at Emma.
“If I’m going down, his bloodline ends tonight!” Silvio screamed.
“NO!” I lunged forward, throwing my body in front of Emma.
A gunshot deafened the tiny room.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
But the pain never came.
I opened my eyes. Silvio was standing completely still. The gun fell from his hand, clattering against the concrete floor.
He looked down at his chest. A massive red stain was spreading across his white shirt.
Silvio collapsed to his knees, and then pitched forward, dead.
Behind him, Luca slowly lowered the smoking shotgun.
Luca turned to the two guards who had followed Silvio. They immediately dropped their weapons and dropped to their knees, terrified.
“Get him out of my house,” Luca ordered, his voice hollow.
Dante motioned for the guards to drag Silvio’s body away.
Luca finally turned his attention to us. He walked over to where I was still shielding Emma.
He reached out a tattooed hand and gently helped me to my feet.
“Are you hurt, Emily?” he asked softly.
“No, sir. I’m okay.”
Luca turned to Emma and Walter. He dropped to one knee in front of the old man.
The fearsome head of the Moretti syndicate bowed his head.
“Walter,” Luca whispered, his voice thick with tears. “I am so incredibly sorry. For seventeen years, I failed your family. I failed Daniel.”
Walter reached out with his trembling hand and rested it on Luca’s dark hair.
“You didn’t know, son,” Walter wept. “You didn’t know.”
Luca looked up at Emma. “Your tuition. Your home. Everything is taken care of. From this moment on, you are under my protection. The Bishops will never want for anything again.”
Emma wiped her eyes, nodding. “Thank you, Uncle Luca.”
The nightmare was over.
But as we walked back upstairs to the main floor, the heavy oak doors of the mansion suddenly burst open.
Dante ran into the foyer, his face completely pale.
“Boss,” Dante gasped. “Vanessa is gone. She slipped past the guards during the fire alarm.”
Luca frowned. “Let her run. Her family is bankrupt now.”
“You don’t understand,” Dante said, holding up a small, silver locket.
I recognized it immediately. It belonged to my younger sister, Lily.
“She didn’t run away,” Dante swallowed hard. “She went to Emily’s apartment.”
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