Chapter 3 - The Lion's Den
The armored SUV smashed through a heavy chain-link fence, tearing into the courtyard of an abandoned steel mill.
Dozens of armed men instantly stepped out of the shadows, their laser sights painting our vehicle in glowing red dots.
My heart hammered desperately against my ribs as I realized we were completely surrounded by heavily armed killers.
Mateo did not look afraid at all.
He calmly holstered his weapon and pushed the heavy car door open, stepping out into the freezing night air.
"Stay exactly behind me, and do not speak a single word," Mateo ordered me over his broad shoulder.
I scrambled out of the car, gripping the back of his suit jacket like it was my only lifeline in this terrifying new world.
Salvatore stepped out next, leaning heavily on his silver cane as he glared at the surrounding gunmen with absolute disgust.
A tall, elegant man with slicked-back gray hair walked out from the center of the armed crowd.
He wore a tailored white suit that stood out sharply against the grime and dirt of the abandoned factory.
"Welcome to my territory, Salvatore," the man smiled, his voice smooth and incredibly dangerous.
"Cut the garbage, Lorenzo," Salvatore spat, stepping forward to meet the rival boss face to face.
"Your men just shot up a public street trying to kill the girl."
Lorenzo shifted his dark eyes toward me, a sickeningly warm smile spreading across his face.
"I was not trying to kill her, Salvatore, I was trying to rescue her from your barbaric family," Lorenzo purred.
He took a slow step toward me, causing Mateo to instantly shift his massive body to block the man's path entirely.
"If you take one more step toward her, I will break your neck," Mateo promised, his voice vibrating with lethal intent.
Lorenzo chuckled, raising his hands in a mocking gesture of surrender.
"Tessa, my dear, you have absolutely no idea who these monsters really are, do you?" Lorenzo asked, looking at me around Mateo's shoulder.
I stayed silent, obeying Mateo's strict order while my mind raced with terrifying questions.
"The key around your neck opens a subterranean vault containing blackmail on every single politician in the state," Lorenzo revealed loudly.
"The Vitiello family wants that vault to control the entire city, but they cannot open it without Romano blood."
I looked up at Mateo, my stomach twisting into a painful knot of betrayal.
He had spent three weeks coming to my restaurant, watching me, tipping me perfectly, just to use me as a human key.
"Is that true?" I whispered, my voice cracking slightly.
Mateo looked down at me, his jaw clenching tight as he refused to deny the horrific accusation.
"It is worse than that, Tessa," Lorenzo laughed cruelly, enjoying the psychological torture he was inflicting on me.
"Salvatore is not just trying to use you for your bloodline."
The entire courtyard went completely silent, the tension thick enough to choke on.
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Lorenzo pointed a perfectly manicured finger directly at Salvatore's weathered face.
"Salvatore Vitiello is the exact man who ordered the assassination of your parents twenty years ago."
