Chapter 9 - The Harbor Fire
Julian smiled viciously, his thumb resting heavily on the red button of the detonator.
"Did you really think I wouldn't follow you, Carmine?" Julian mocked.
He held up the small device for all of us to see.
"I rigged the entire floor of this cheap building with C4 explosive."
My heart dropped into my stomach as I realized there was absolutely no way out.
"Let the girl go, Julian," Gabriel bargained, stepping protectively in front of me.
"This is between our family."
Julian laughed, a cold and hollow sound that echoed in the cramped hallway.
"There is no family left, Gabriel," Julian sneered.
Before Julian could press the button, a massive explosion rocked the street outside the window.
The blast shattered my apartment windows, throwing Julian and the Romano soldiers off balance.
Carmine did not hesitate for a microsecond.
He lunged forward, tackling Julian into the hallway and knocking the detonator out of his hand.
Gabriel spun around, grabbing me tightly.
"Out the window, now!" Gabriel yelled over the deafening chaos.
We climbed through the shattered glass onto the rusty fire escape.
Below us, heavily armored black SUVs were crashing into Julian's vehicles.
Carmine's loyal men had arrived just in time, ambushing the Romano soldiers in the street.
Gunfire lit up the night sky like a violent thunderstorm.
Gabriel and I scrambled down the metal stairs just as a stray bullet struck the brick wall beside my head.
We reached the alleyway, surrounded by loyal Falcone soldiers who immediately shielded their boss.
Carmine emerged from the building a moment later, dragging a bloody and beaten Julian by the collar.
Carmine threw the traitor onto the wet asphalt at Gabriel's feet.
Julian coughed up blood, glaring up at his older brother with pure hatred.
"Kill me," Julian spat defiantly.
Gabriel looked down at his brother, his expression devoid of any mercy or love.
"You are not worth the bullet," Gabriel said coldly.
He gestured to two of his guards.
"Lock him in the basement of the estate, and make sure he never sees the sun again."
The guards dragged Julian away as the remaining Romano forces surrendered or fled into the night.
The war was finally over.
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Gabriel turned to me, the streetlights illuminating the gentle relief softening his hardened face.
Before he could speak, a sleek black limousine pulled into the alley, stopping directly in front of us.
