The explosion shook the night like thunder. Flames climbed skyward, painting the water in shades of orange and red. Sirens wailed in the distance, but here on the Palermo docks, it was pure chaos.
The night was too quiet.Lorenzo sat on the edge of the guest bed in Alessandro’s house, staring at the ceiling, listening to the faint creaks of the old walls.
The damp stone walls pressed in on Mateo, the cold seeping into his bones. The only light came from a flickering bulb swinging from the ceiling, throwing jagged shadows across the dungeon. Rusted chains clinked against the wall with every movement he made. His wrists ached where the iron cuffs bit into his skin, the raw flesh burning from hours of struggling.
Lorenzo hadn’t realized how long he had been staring at the ceiling until Alessandro’s voice broke the silence.“You’re sulking.”
The fire on the docks was still burning when Ricardo Cruz arrived.His black car rolled to a stop, headlights cutting across smoke and ruin. The air stank of ash and twisted steel. Flames licked the night sky like demons dancing, devouring what was left of the warehouse.Ricardo stepped out slowly, cane striking the pavement. His men stood silent around him, too afraid to speak. The heat of the blaze painted his sharp features in orange light.He stared at the destruction for a long time, breathing in the smoke as though it were poison, and perhaps it was. His fortune, his power, his reputation, burning right before his eyes.Finally, his voice cut through the silence. Low. Deadly.“Mateo.”Two guards shoved the younger man forward. Blood streaked Mateo’s face, his shirt torn, his wrists bound with rope.Ricardo’s jaw tightened as his eyes burned into him. “You did this.”Mateo lifted his chin, despite the bruise on his cheek. “Yes.”The answer was sharp, like a blade. No excuses. No
The explosion shook the night like thunder. Flames climbed skyward, painting the water in shades of orange and red. Sirens wailed in the distance, but here on the Palermo docks, it was pure chaos.
The door creaked open, wood groaning against the hinges.Mateo raised his gun instantly, his finger tightening on the trigger. Marco mirrored him, barrel leveled at th