Twenty surgeons, millions of dollars, and every antibiotic money could buy had failed to save Gabriel Falcone, the most feared mafia boss in New York. Then I noticed something buried inside his rotting shoulder that none of them had seen—and when Gabriel ordered, “Give her the scissors,” every armed man in that room watched a twenty-two-year-old maid decide whether their boss lived or died.

Carmine exhaled a long cloud of gray smoke, his pistol resting perfectly on my cheap wooden table.

Gabriel did not flinch, though his hand instinctively moved toward his empty holster.

"How did you find this place, Carmine?" Gabriel asked, his voice deadly calm.

"Julian is a fool, but he is thorough," Carmine replied, casually crushing his cigarette in an ashtray.

"He pulled the employment files of every maid in the estate."

I stood frozen by the door, completely terrified by the calmness of the situation.

Carmine picked up his gun and slowly pointed it directly at Gabriel's chest.

"Julian ordered me to finish the job and bring back your head," Carmine stated flatly.

Gabriel stared at his oldest friend, an ocean of betrayal swimming in his dark eyes.

"Then do it," Gabriel challenged, refusing to break eye contact.

"Pull the trigger and make my traitor brother the king of New York."

Carmine stared at Gabriel for a long, agonizing moment.

Then, Carmine suddenly flipped the gun around and offered it to Gabriel handle-first.

I gasped in sheer confusion.

"I am not a traitor, Boss," Carmine swore, his voice thick with emotion.

"I played along with Julian to find out who was funding his coup."

Gabriel took the gun, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Who is backing him?" Gabriel demanded.

"The Romanos," Carmine revealed, referring to the most ruthless cartel in the city.

"Julian promised them half of your territory in exchange for the men and the poisoned thread."

Carmine stood up, looking at my terrified face with a slight nod of respect.

"I had to act like I hated her so Julian wouldn't suspect I was on your side," Carmine explained.

Gabriel slowly lowered the weapon, realizing his loyal underboss had risked everything.

"Julian is hosting a meeting with the Romano bosses tonight at the harbor," Carmine continued.

"They are finalizing the territory split, assuming you are dead in the tunnels."

Gabriel's posture changed entirely, the pain in his shoulder masked by pure, vengeful rage.

"Gather the loyal men," Gabriel commanded, his voice dripping with lethal intent.

"We are going to burn the harbor to the ground."

Carmine nodded, pulling out a burner phone to make the calls.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

Suddenly, the front door of my apartment was kicked completely off its hinges.

Julian stood in the hallway, holding a detonator, with twenty Romano soldiers backing him up.

Chapter 8 - The Underboss