Chapter 5 - THE KEYLuca led them upstairs.
Sofia’s childhood bedroom had remained almost untouched.
Dust covered the shelves.
Old books.
A ceramic horse.
A framed wedding photograph.
Luca walked straight toward the closet.
“Mommy told me it was behind the moon.”
Dominic frowned.
“What moon?”
Luca pointed at a wooden music mobile hanging above the closet door.
One silver moon.
Five stars.
Dominic lifted him.
Luca pulled the moon.
Nothing happened.
Chloe noticed a small brass pin behind it.
“Wait.”
She pressed it.
A panel inside the closet clicked open.
Dominic stared.
Behind it was a narrow compartment.
Inside lay a brass key and a small flash drive.
Carlo exhaled.
“She planned this.”
Dominic picked up the drive.
“We need a clean computer.”
They found an old laptop in the downstairs office.
Carlo disconnected it from the internet.
The flash drive contained dozens of files.
Bank transfers.
Shipping documents.
Photographs.
Audio recordings.
Victor had been stealing from Russo businesses for years.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
One document listed payments to police officers.
Another listed judges.
Another listed a federal customs official.
Then Chloe opened a folder marked L.R.
Inside was a photograph.
A younger Dominic.
Sofia.
Baby Luca.
And a man Chloe didn’t recognize.
Carlo did.
“Jesus.”
“Who is he?” Chloe asked.
Dominic stared.
“Elias Kane.”
Chloe had heard the name.
Everyone in Chicago had.
Kane controlled the city’s western criminal operations.
Russo controlled the east.
For twenty years, their families had been enemies.
“What is Sofia doing with him?”
Dominic opened an audio file.
Sofia’s voice filled the room.
“If anything happens to me, Dominic needs to know Victor started the Russo-Kane war.”
Dominic froze.
The recording continued.
“Elias never ordered the warehouse bombing. Victor did. He killed twelve Russo men and blamed Kane so Dominic would take control through violence.”
Carlo stared at the screen.
“That war killed over fifty people.”
Dominic said nothing.
Sofia continued.
“Victor needs Dominic angry. Angry men don’t ask questions.”
Chloe slowly looked at him.
The words landed hard.
Dominic replayed the last sentence.
Angry men don’t ask questions.
For years, Victor had encouraged Dominic’s rage.
His suspicion.
His brutality.
Maybe even his grief.
Luca entered the doorway.
“Is that Mommy?”
Dominic slammed the laptop closed.
“Yes.”
“Can I hear her?”
Dominic’s face broke.
He opened the laptop again.
Sofia’s voice filled the room.
Luca smiled through tears.
Then a car exploded outside.
The windows shook.
Carlo grabbed his gun.
“DOWN!”
Dominic threw himself over Luca.
Chloe hit the floor.
Smoke rolled past the front windows.
One of the security vehicles burned in the driveway.
Gunfire followed.
Carlo shouted into his radio.
“No response!”
Dominic looked toward the back door.
“How did they find us?”
Chloe’s eyes moved to the laptop.
Then to Carlo.
Then to Dominic.
Only five people knew the address.
Dominic understood.
“One of my own men sold us out.”
The back window shattered.
A voice shouted from outside.
“DOMINIC RUSSO!”
Everyone froze.
May you like
“Send the boy out…”
“…and the rest of you live.”
