Chapter 4 - The Brother Who Sold the King
Anthony Moretti walked into Benny's Burgers at 2:17 a.m.
Alone.
Vincent sat in a booth.
Maya stood behind the counter.
Luca remained near the kitchen.
Anthony looked around.
"This is humiliating."
Vincent didn't move.
"Sit down."
Anthony sat.
"You look terrible."
"I've had a difficult evening."
"So I've heard."
Vincent's eyes hardened.
That answer came too quickly.
Maya noticed too.
She quietly placed a cup of coffee in front of Anthony.
He looked at her.
"Who are you?"
"Waitress."
"At two in the morning?"
"Overtime."
Anthony looked at Vincent.
"You trust her?"
Vincent answered without hesitation.
"More than I trust you."
Silence.
Anthony's face changed.
"Excuse me?"
Vincent pushed a document across the table.
Bank transfers.
Anthony barely glanced at them.
"You're accusing me?"
"I'm asking you."
"You've already decided."
Maya watched Anthony's hand.
Not his face.
His fingers were tapping.
Fast.
His eyes kept moving toward the front windows.
She had seen nervous customers do that while waiting for angry husbands, cops, or girlfriends.
Anthony wasn't nervous about Vincent.
He was waiting for someone.
Maya quietly walked toward the kitchen.
Vincent continued.
"The Bellanos knew my route tonight."
Anthony stood.
"Maybe your security is incompetent."
"They knew the safe house."
Anthony said nothing.
Vincent rose.
"Only three people knew that location."
"Then ask the other two."
"They're dead."
Anthony's jaw tightened.
Maya appeared behind the counter again.
She held her phone below the countertop.
On the screen:
Two black SUVs outside.
She turned it toward Vincent.
His eyes flicked down.
He understood.
Anthony noticed the glance.
Too late.
Vincent moved.
Anthony reached inside his jacket.
Luca drew first.
"Don't."
Anthony froze.
Vincent stared at his brother.
"You brought them here."
Anthony's face collapsed.
"You don't understand."
"Then explain."
"You were destroying us!"
Vincent's expression didn't change.
Anthony continued.
"You wouldn't expand narcotics. You wouldn't move weapons through the port. You kept turning down millions because of your stupid rules."
"Those rules kept children and families out of our business."
"This is crime, Vincent!"
"No."
Vincent stepped closer.
"This is power."
He pointed toward Anthony.
"And power without rules makes you an animal."
Anthony laughed bitterly.
"You always thought you were better than us."
"No."
Vincent's voice softened.
"I thought you were better than this."
That hurt Anthony more.
His eyes shifted toward the window.
Maya spoke.
"They're not coming to save you."
Everyone looked at her.
Anthony frowned.
"What?"
Maya held up his phone.
Anthony instinctively touched his pocket.
Empty.
She had lifted it when she served the coffee.
Vincent stared at her.
Maya shrugged.
"I worked downtown bars for four years."
She showed the screen.
A message from Marco Bellano:
Once Moretti is confirmed inside, we clean out everyone. Including Anthony.
Anthony's face went white.
Vincent read it.
Then looked at his brother.
"You sold me to men who were planning to kill you afterward."
Anthony slowly sat down.
Outside, engines started.
Vincent looked toward the windows.
Luca asked,
"What's the plan?"
Vincent reached for his gun.
Maya stepped in front of him.
"No."
Vincent stared at her.
"Not now."
"Especially now."
"Maya, there are at least ten armed men outside."
"Exactly."
She reached beneath the counter.
Then smiled.
"Good thing fast-food restaurants have something mafia bosses apparently don't."
Vincent frowned.
"What?"
She pressed a red button.
An alarm screamed through the building.
Exterior lights began flashing.
A recorded security message announced that police had been automatically notified.
Maya looked at Vincent.
"An emergency button."
For three seconds, nobody moved.
Then the SUVs outside accelerated away.
Luca started laughing.
Vincent looked at Maya.
She folded her arms.
May you like
"You people make everything too complicated."
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