Chapter 9 - THE TRAITOR
We reached the estate eighteen minutes later.
The front gates were open.
One guard lay wounded.
Two others were dead.
"Dante."
He looked at me.
"Stay in the car."
This time I listened.
For thirty seconds.
Then I saw Rosa stagger through the front doors.
Blood covered her blouse.
I ran.
"Rosa!"
"I'm okay."
She wasn't.
A bullet had grazed her shoulder.
"Enzo?"
Her face broke.
"He betrayed us."
Dante froze.
"No."
"He let Nolan out."
Dante looked toward the house.
"Where are they?"
"Gone."
Rosa grabbed his hand.
"He took the ledger."
Dante closed his eyes.
Enzo had been beside him for twenty years.
More than an employee.
A brother.
Rosa whispered, "I'm sorry."
Dante pulled away.
Not from anger.
From pain.
I found him ten minutes later alone in the study.
The room had been torn apart.
He stared at the empty cabinet.
"You trusted him."
"For twenty-three years."
I stood beside him.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't."
"What?"
"Don't feel sorry for me."
"I wasn't."
He looked at me.
"I was saying I'm sorry because losing someone you trusted hurts."
Silence.
Then he laughed bitterly.
"You know that better than anyone."
"Nolan taught me."
Dante stared at the broken window.
"I should have seen Enzo."
"And I should've seen Nolan."
"We see what people allow us to see."
That was the first time Dante sounded tired.
Human.
I reached for his hand.
He looked down at our fingers.
Then at me.
"Claire."
"What?"
"You kissing me complicated my life."
Despite everything, I laughed.
"I'm starting to think that was a bad decision."
His mouth curved.
"Terrible."
Then he kissed me.
Slowly.
He gave me time to pull away.
I didn't.
For a few seconds, the house, the blood, Nolan, Salvatore—everything disappeared.
Then Rosa screamed from the hallway.
"Dante!"
We ran.
A laptop screen had turned on by itself.
Enzo appeared in a live video.
Behind him, Nolan was tied to a chair.
I blinked.
"What?"
Nolan's face was bruised.
Enzo held a gun against his head.
Dante stepped toward the screen.
"Enzo."
"Boss."
"Explain."
"I couldn't tell you."
"Then start now."
Enzo looked exhausted.
"I released Nolan because Salvatore's people would only take me if they believed I changed sides."
Dante's expression didn't soften.
"You shot my guards."
"No."
"Two men are dead."
"Salvatore's team killed them after we left."
Nolan shouted, "He's telling the truth!"
Enzo hit him.
"Quiet."
I stared at the screen.
"Where are you?"
Enzo looked at me.
"Inside Salvatore's compound."
Dante stepped closer.
"You've known where he was?"
"For forty minutes."
"Then send the location."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because Salvatore is sitting ten feet away."
A shadow moved behind him.
Then Salvatore appeared.
He smiled.
"Hello, son."
Dante's face turned to stone.
Salvatore rested a hand on Enzo's shoulder.
"You always did inspire loyalty."
Then he looked toward me.
"But not enough."
Two men dragged someone into view.
An older man.
Thin.
Gray hair.
Dante made a sound I had never heard before.
"Matteo."
The man lifted his head.
May you like
Dante's brother was alive.
And Salvatore held a gun against his skull.
