Chapter 10 - The Empire Reclaimed
Rocco stood up slowly, dropping the bloody knife onto the wet tarmac.
The night was finally silent, broken only by the distant wail of approaching police sirens.
Leo limped over, tossing a set of zip ties down to secure a whimpering, defeated Marcus.
"The authorities will clean up this mess, boss, Marcus is going away for life," Leo assured him.
Rocco walked over to Victoria, who was gently rocking Noah in her arms to calm him down.
He took his son, holding him tighter than he ever had before, tears streaming down his bruised face.
"It's over, buddy, Daddy is right here," Rocco whispered into the boy's good ear.
Weeks later, the sun shone brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the new Caruso penthouse.
The treacherous elements of the organization had been entirely purged, leaving Rocco in absolute control.
Victoria had been appointed as the new head of security, her loyalty proven beyond any doubt.
Noah was laughing in the living room, playing happily with a brand new, custom-made hearing aid.
Rocco sat in his leather chair, a glass of expensive bourbon in his hand, feeling completely at peace.
He had protected his family, secured his empire, and finally stepped out of his brother's dark shadow.
The nightmare was over, and they were safe, wealthy, and untouchable.
Suddenly, the private, encrypted phone on Rocco's desk began to ring with a harsh, piercing tone.
Rocco frowned, setting his glass down, knowing only three people in the world had that number.
He answered the call, pressing the receiver to his ear in the quiet room.
May you like
"You handled Luca well, Mr. Caruso," a cold, heavily accented voice whispered on the line.
"But Maria belongs to our Cartel, and we are coming to collect her debt."
