Chapter 13 - A Bullet for a Betrayal
Julian didn't stand. Instead, his hand dove frantically inside his tailored jacket toward a hidden shoulder holster.
He never cleared leather.
Before Julian’s fingers could wrap around the grip of his gun, Dileia moved with cold, calculated precision. She swept her hand across the table, grabbing Adriano’s heavy glass coffee mug and smashing it directly across Julian’s wrist as he tried to pull his weapon.
With a sharp crack of bone and a scream of agony, Julian’s pistol clattered across the polished floor.
Adriano was around the table in a heartbeat. He grabbed Julian by the collar of his expensive silk shirt, hauling him completely out of his chair and slamming him against the wood-paneled wall with enough force to rattle the antique frames.
"You traded my family name for Dutch blood money," Adriano snarled, pressing the cold barrel of his gun directly under Julian’s chin.
"I had to!" Julian choked out, tears streaming down his face as he clawed helplessly at Adriano’s wrists. "The Falcone empire is too big, Adriano! You're changing the rules, bringing outsiders in, cleaning up the docks—you're ruining us! The Verhovens offered a partnership!"
"The only partnership you have now is with the cemetery," Adriano whispered.
Bang.
May you like
The shot echoed through the mansion, swallowed instantly by the heavy velvet drapes. Julian Rossi slumped to the floor, leaving a dark streak down the mahogany panels.
The remaining three capos sat frozen, staring at the body with wide, terrified eyes. They didn't look at Dileia with condescension anymore. They looked at her the way men look at a loaded gun pointed at their heads.
