INICIAR SESIÓNDimitri's jaw tightened as he said it, understanding fully what he was proposing. Not just a vendetta with Dante. But potentially a conflict with an organization that had already proven willing to create bioweapons, to conduct experiments, to operate at a level of ruthlessness that made traditional crime look civilized."Okay," Enzo said, "I'll get back to you in twenty-four hours. I'll gather the information and have answers for you. I'll talk to my contacts, follow the money trails, investigate any unusual meetings. Twenty-four hours.""Good," Dimitri said.There was a brief silence on the line, then Enzo said. "I heard about what happened to Eve," Enzo finally said. "And I heard that Dante escaped. In Jersey City, when you had him in the warehouse. You let him live."Dimitri felt Eve's hand slip into his, squeezing gently. She understood what Enzo was saying. She understood the implication."I guess you shouldn't have let him leave, brother," Enzo continued, his tone measured but c
POV: DIMITRIDimitri was back at the penthouse, standing under a scalding shower, letting the heat wash away the stress of the morning when his phone rang.He knew the ringtone immediately. Enzo.Dimitri stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and answered without saying anything."I heard about the shipment," Enzo's voice came through, calm and clinical. "What happened?"Dimitri moved through the penthouse toward the bedroom, already understanding that this wasn't a casual call. News travels fast through the underworld. If Enzo had heard about the shipment interception in Rome, that meant the information was already spreading, which meant the damage was already done in terms of reputation and perception."Colombian shipment at the New Jersey port," Dimitri said, his voice steady and cold. "Intercepted before it cleared customs. The port manager was turned. Three million in product gone."There was a pause on the other end of the line. The kind of pause that came
He called Marco as he was heading to the elevator."I need the car ready," Dimitri said. "And I need you to pull together everything you can find about Dante Romano's current status. Medical records, movement logs, everything. I need to know if he's mobile again.""Yes, boss," Marco said, understanding without needing explanation that something had happened.By the time Dimitri reached the garage, the car was ready. By the time he was pulling out into the early morning traffic, his mind had already moved through the first dozen responses he could make to this attack.He could hit Dante's operations in Rome. Could move money to retaliate. Could escalate the violence immediately and force a direct confrontation.But that's what whoever was behind this would expect. That's what they were counting on, that he'd react emotionally instead of strategically.Instead, Dimitri decided to do something different.He decided to find out exactly who he was dealing with before he made his move.The
POV: DIMITRIThe bed was warm, and Eve was warm against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, her breathing steady and deep with sleep.Dimitri lay awake in the pre-dawn darkness of the penthouse, watching the city begin to wake below them. It was 5:47 AM. The kind of hour when the world was still quiet and peaceful.He wasn't thinking about business. Wasn't thinking about operations or rivals or the constant machinery of power that demanded his attention. He was just lying there, holding his woman, listening to her breathe, feeling the weight of her against him, and for once, allowing himself to simply exist in the moment.It wouldn't last. He knew that. Peace never did in his world. But for these few hours before the day began, before the demands started, he could pretend that his life was simple. That it was just him and Eve and nothing else.Her hand moved across his chest in her sleep, instinctively seeking connection even in unconsciousness. He covered her hand with his o
Luca entered, closing the door behind him. He'd been waiting for this moment, knowing that the intelligence package was coming, understanding that once it arrived, everything would change."The package?" Luca asked, seeing the pages spread across the desk."The package," Dante confirmed. "Come look at this."Luca moved to the desk and began reading, his expression shifting as he took in the scope of the intelligence. After several minutes, he looked up at Dante."This is thorough," Luca said. "More thorough than anything we've ever had on any operation. Where did they get all this?""Doesn't matter," Dante said. "What matters is what we do with it."He stood and walked to the window overlooking the gardens. His legs held his weight easily now. The recovery was nearly complete. In another week, he'd be able to move with full mobility, and then the real work could begin."The first move," Dante said, turning back to face Luca, "is the Colombian shipment. It arrives in four days at the N
POV: DANTEThe physical therapy room in Dante's estate had been converted from an old library. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the gardens. A full array of equipment lined the walls...parallel bars, resistance machines, mirrors for form correction. Dr. Fabrizio's team had set it up.Today was Day 14 of the Covenant treatment.Dante stood at the parallel bars, his hands gripping the worn metal, his legs shaking with effort as he attempted what should have been simple...walking the length of the bars without assistance.Three weeks ago, he couldn't feel his feet.Now, he was walking.Not smoothly. Not with the confidence he'd had before Jersey City. But walking nonetheless, putting one foot in front of the other, his body remembering what it had been forced to forget."Good," Dr. Fabrizio said, watching from across the room, making notes on his tablet. "Steady pace. Don't push harder than this. We're rebuilding neural pathways, not breaking world records."Dante made it to the end o







