Chapter 3 - The Empty Cage
Nico stared down at the dead man in the alley with absolute absolute rage.
The bullet wound was clean, silenced, and undeniably professional.
This was not a random street mugging gone wrong.
Someone highly trained was actively hunting for Norah in the dark.
His burner phone suddenly vibrated heavily against his chest.
The caller ID displayed a restricted international number.
Nico answered the call and immediately heard a familiar, cruel laugh echoing through the speaker.
It was Victor Romano, the ruthless boss of the rival syndicate they had been fighting for years.
Victor calmly told Nico that his men had found something very beautiful wandering the city streets.
The rival boss demanded half of the lucrative South Side territory by dawn, or Norah would be sent back in pieces.
Nico agreed to the extortion without a single second of hesitation, his legendary arrogance completely shattered.
He gathered his deadliest enforcers and the signed territory deeds, racing toward the exchange point.
They arrived at an abandoned meatpacking warehouse on the edge of the river.
Nico did not wait for negotiations, kicking the heavy steel door entirely off its hinges.
He stormed into the main room with his weapon raised and ready to kill.
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He found Marcus hanging by his neck from a rusted meat hook on the ceiling.
Victor Romano and Norah were nowhere to be found.
