LOGINVincent's failed escape attempt made headlines for three days.
Every news outlet. Every channel. The narrative..The narrative was perfect for us. Dangerous mobster. Armed ambush. Dead guards. Vincent Carozza as..As the monster we'd always claimed he was."Public opinion is shifting," Alexandra said. Conference call. Day four after the attempt. "The..the diplomatic immunity argument is losing traction. People are seeing Vincent for what he"Shoot him!" I raised my weapon. Aimed center mass.But Dante's hand caught my wrist. Stopped me."Wait," he whispered. "Look."I looked. Really looked. Vincent...Vincent wasn't alone. Shadows. Movement. In the rafters. Behind crates. Positioned for ambush."It's a trap," Marco confirmed through comms. "Thermal imaging shows fifteen hostiles. Hidden. Waiting for you to engage.""He wants us to shoot," Dante said. "Wants us distracted. So his people can flank us. Pin us down."Vincent was still smiling. Still waiting for us to...To take the bait."Change of plans," I said into comms. "Teams two and three flank positions. Come in through the east and west entrances. Silent. Teams four and five rooftop access. Take out his people in the rafters. Team six cut off south exit. No one leaves this warehouse.""Copy," came the responses. Professional. Efficient.
The penthouse looked like a military compound.It had, Armed guards. Every entrance. Every window. Marco coordinating..Coordinating movements like a general. Ghost at the door. Weapon ready.And Dante...Dante in the center of it all. Directing. Commanding. Looking...Looking like the commission head he'd become. Powerful. Dangerous. In control."Aria." He saw me immediately. Moved toward me. "You're here. Good. We need to coordinate. Vincent's making his move and...""Where's Luca?" I interrupted. "Where's my son?""Safe room. With two guards. He's fine. Scared but fine."I pushed past him. Toward the master bedroom. The safe room hidden...Hidden behind the closet. Reinforced. Secure.Luca was there. Small. Terrified. But...But alive. Whole. Unhurt."Mama!" He ran to me. I caught him. Held him so tight he squeake
Three days passed.Three days since Vincent escaped and all i get is silence. Three days since...Since I had pushed Dante away. Three days of...Of waiting. Watching. Preparing for...For Vincent to make his move on me.But nothing. Radio silence. The black sedan...The sedan disappeared. Vincent's people...Gone. Like they'd never been there."He's playing games, mind games" Gianna said. Morning of day four. "Making you making you wait. Making you ..you paranoid. It's psychological warfare.""It's working." I hadn't slept. Couldn't rest my head or let my guard down. "Every sound. Every car. Every shadow. I'm seeing threats everywhere.""Good. That means you're alert. Ready. When he finally moves. You'll be prepared."But I wasn't so sure. Because...Because waiting was harder than action. Waiting gave me...Gave me
The marriage contract expired on a Tuesday.Six months. That's what we'd agreed. Six months of...Of pretending. Playing roles. Being..Being Mr. and Mrs. Russo for the world.And now it was done. Legally. Officially.Over."The contract ends today," I said. Morning coffee. Dante across from me. Both of us...Both of us pretending this was normal. Expected. Fine."I know," he said. Not looking up from his tablet."So what happens now?""I don't know." He finally met my eyes. "What do you want to happen?"What did I want? Six months ago the answer would have been..Would have been simple. Us. Together. Forever.But now I didn't know. Didn't...Didn't know if I wanted to fight for someone who was already...Already halfway gone."I don't know either," I admitted. "We could renew. Another six months. Keep pre
Vincent's failed escape attempt made headlines for three days.Every news outlet. Every channel. The narrative..The narrative was perfect for us. Dangerous mobster. Armed ambush. Dead guards. Vincent Carozza as..As the monster we'd always claimed he was."Public opinion is shifting," Alexandra said. Conference call. Day four after the attempt. "The..the diplomatic immunity argument is losing traction. People are seeing Vincent for what he is. A violent criminal. Not some protected foreign dignitary.""Good," I said. "Does that help the case?""Immensely. The judge is feeling pressure. To keep him locked up. To deny bail. We're also getting new witnesses. People who worked for Vincent. Who saw things. Who are willing to testify now that he's contained.""How many witnesses?" Dante asked."Four so far. Former associates. People who can corroborate Aria's testimony. Who can place V
The news broke at dawn.Vincent's lawyers had filed an emergency motion. Challenging..Challenging the arrest. The evidence. Everything."They're claiming entrapment," Alexandra said. On speakerphone. Too early. Her voice crisp. Professional. "That Detective Chen..that she orchestrated the entire gala arrest. That Vincent was lured under false pretenses. That..""That's insane," I interrupted. "He came willingly. He threatened us. In front of witnesses.""I know. But his legal team is good. Very good. They're arguing that the threats were self-defense. That he felt cornered. That he was protecting himself from vigilante justice.""Self-defense." I laughed. Bitter. "The man who murdered my entire family is claiming self-defense?""Welcome to the American legal system." Alexandra's voice was wry. "Where enough money buys any narrative. Any defense. We need to meet. Today. Strategize. Figure out







