Chapter 3 - Black Winter
Nothing happened for thirteen seconds.
Victor laughed.
“That’s it?”
I put my phone away.
“That’s it.”
Then Caleb's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Ignored it.
It rang again.
Ryan's phone followed.
Then Thomas's.
Then Victor's.
Within thirty seconds, six phones were ringing around the room.
Caleb answered first.
“What?”
His expression changed.
“What do you mean canceled?”
Ryan answered his.
“Slow down.”
Thomas stared at his screen.
Victor ignored his call.
Then the lights outside moved.
Black headlights appeared beyond the mansion gates.
One SUV.
Then another.
Then another.
By the time Victor reached the window, twelve black vehicles had stopped along the road.
Men stepped out.
Dark coats.
Calm movements.
No shouting.
No visible weapons.
They simply took positions.
Victor turned.
“What is this?”
I didn't answer.
Caleb suddenly shouted into his phone.
“You can't terminate the contract!”
Ryan looked at Victor.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“The dockworkers walked out.”
Thomas lowered his phone.
“So did our security.”
Victor stared at him.
“What?”
“Our entire private security team resigned.”
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
I finally spoke.
“It isn't.”
Everyone looked at me.
Victor's phone rang again.
This time he answered.
“Hale.”
Silence.
His face changed.
“Who authorized that?”
More silence.
“You can't freeze those accounts.”
I watched him.
“What investigation?”
He turned toward me.
For the first time that night, Victor Hale looked afraid.
Then the mansion's front door opened.
Marco entered.
His black gloves were gone.
The tattoos across his fingers were visible.
Behind him stood six men.
Marco ignored everyone except me.
“Boss.”
One word.
That was all it took.
Caleb stared at me.
“Boss?”
Marco handed me the leather folder.
Evelyn's documents.
“Found them in Victor's office.”
I opened the folder.
Evelyn's signature was at the bottom.
I knew my wife's handwriting.
This wasn't hers.
“Forgery.”
Victor stepped backward.
“Adrian, listen—”
Marco looked at him.
Victor immediately stopped talking.
I closed the folder.
Ryan whispered:
“Who is he?”
Marco almost smiled.
Victor didn't.
Because Victor was finally remembering things he had spent years pretending not to know.
The Bellucci name.
The ports.
The casinos.
The freight terminals.
The private security firms.
The clubs where judges, businessmen, and criminals all understood the same rule.
Bellucci territory remained peaceful because Adrian Bellucci wanted it peaceful.
Victor's face became pale.
“Bellucci.”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
“The Bellucci?”
Marco answered for me.
May you like
“There is only one.”
---
