Chapter 6 - The War Inside the Family
By morning, Victor Russo’s empire was collapsing.
The real drive Adrian had hidden contained enough evidence to bring federal attention down on half of Victor’s network.
Victor had used our shipping companies without authorization.
Salvatore had falsified financial reports.
Several corrupt officers were exposed.
Marco entered my office with coffee and a stack of reports.
“You haven’t slept.”
“Neither have you.”
“I get paid to suffer.”
“You get paid too much.”
“True.”
He placed the file down.
“Victor wants to talk.”
“No.”
“Salvatore does too.”
“Still no.”
“He says he can explain.”
“People always want to explain after they lose.”
Marco sat.
“What happens to the businesses tied to Victor?”
“We shut down every illegal route.”
“All of them?”
“Yes.”
“That’ll cost millions.”
“I have millions.”
He watched me.
“You’ve changed.”
“No.”
“You definitely have.”
I looked through the glass doors.
Noah and Ruby were running through the garden.
Adrian sat nearby in a chair, bandaged but alive.
Elena watched him with the expression of a woman deciding whether to kiss him or hit him again.
My mother stood in the doorway.
She had arrived an hour earlier.
When Adrian walked into the room, she slapped him too.
Then she hugged him for ten straight minutes.
I almost enjoyed that.
Marco followed my gaze.
“Family reunion.”
“Messy.”
“Always.”
A guard entered.
“Boss, Salvatore is asking again.”
I stood.
“Fine.”
Marco raised an eyebrow.
“You sure?”
“No.”
I met Salvatore in a secured room.
He looked twenty years older than he had the day before.
“You came.”
“You asked.”
He leaned forward.
“Victor manipulated everything.”
“You helped him.”
“I thought Adrian was turning federal.”
“He was.”
“Against us.”
“Against Victor.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“You never asked.”
Salvatore looked down.
“Your father trusted me.”
“And you betrayed his sons.”
“I thought I was protecting the family.”
“By threatening Ruby?”
His silence answered.
I stood.
He spoke quickly.
“Dante.”
I stopped.
“I’m still your uncle.”
I looked at him.
“No.”
His face changed.
“You were my uncle when you watched me bury Adrian.”
I walked out.
Marco was waiting.
“Well?”
“He’ll answer to the law.”
“Victor too?”
“Yes.”
“Some people will say that’s weakness.”
“Let them.”
I walked toward the garden.
Ruby ran up to me.
“Uncle Dante!”
“What?”
“Noah says you have horses.”
“Noah says too much.”
“You have horses?”
“Yes.”
“Can I ride one?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because your father will blame me if you fall.”
Adrian called from the patio:
“She can ride.”
I looked over.
“You can barely walk.”
“That has nothing to do with horses.”
Ruby smiled.
“Dad said yes.”
I sighed.
“Helmet.”
“Yes!”
She ran away.
Adrian approached slowly.
“You’re good with her.”
“I terrified her the first time we met.”
“You terrify everybody.”
“You disappeared for six years.”
“You keep bringing that up.”
“I plan to continue.”
He smiled.
Then his expression became serious.
“What happens now?”
“You tell me.”
“Elena wants to leave Chicago.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Ruby doesn’t.”
I looked toward the children.
“Why?”
“She likes Noah.”
“Everyone likes Noah.”
“And you.”
I glanced at Adrian.
“That child has questionable judgment.”
“She thinks you saved us.”
“No. You saved yourself.”
“I stayed alive.”
“You sent her to me.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head.
He continued.
“I want out.”
I looked at him.
“Out?”
“No more running. No more family business.”
“You think I’m stopping you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You should.”
He studied my face.
“You’re serious.”
“You have a daughter.”
“So do you.”
“I have a son.”
“You know what I mean.”
I looked at the estate.
For years, I had told myself power protected family.
Victor had taught me the opposite.
Power without boundaries destroyed it.
“I’m restructuring everything.”
Adrian stared.
“How?”
“Legitimate businesses only.”
“You’ll have enemies.”
“I already do.”
“You’ll lose influence.”
“I have enough.”
He smiled slowly.
“Mom’s going to say Ruby fixed you.”
“Mom says too much.”
“She absolutely does.”
From the garden, Ruby shouted:
“UNCLE DANTE!”
I closed my eyes.
May you like
Adrian laughed.
“She definitely got the Moretti lungs.”
