Chapter 4 - The Night the Moretti Empire BurnedRaymond Shaw had spent twenty years standing beside powerful men while pretending he wanted nothing.
That had been his greatest weapon.
Nobody watched the man holding the paperwork.
Adrian had.
Just not closely enough.
By noon, federal agents raided three Moretti properties.
Anonymous evidence had been delivered to prosecutors.
Enough to freeze accounts.
Enough to trigger warrants.
Enough to make Adrian's allies disappear.
Raymond called at 12:17.
“You should have left the dead buried.”
“Where is Vincent?”
“Alive.”
“For now?”
Raymond laughed.
“You're learning.”
“What do you want?”
“The drive.”
“No.”
“Then Belladonna burns tonight.”
The call ended.
Claire found Adrian standing alone inside the empty restaurant.
Tables had been cleared.
Employees sent home.
Belladonna looked strangely vulnerable without people.
“This place matters to you.”
“My mother chose the name.”
Claire sat beside him.
“Then don't let Raymond decide what happens to it.”
“He already has.”
“No. He decides what he does. You decide what you become afterward.”
Adrian looked at her.
“You sound like Marco.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“It was.”
He reached for her hand.
“Claire, when this is finished—”
The explosion interrupted him.
Windows shattered inward.
Adrian threw himself over Claire.
Fire climbed the front dining room.
Marcus's men rushed inside.
“Move!”
They escaped through the kitchen as Belladonna burned behind them.
Across the street, Claire watched flames consume the restaurant where this had begun.
Adrian stood silently beside her.
Then Claire saw a man among the spectators.
Vincent.
He looked directly at Adrian.
Then walked away.
Adrian followed.
They found Vincent in an alley.
He was bleeding from the stomach.
“Raymond,” he whispered.
Adrian caught him before he fell.
Vincent laughed weakly.
“Funny. Spent my life teaching everyone betrayal.”
“Where is he?”
“Old freight terminal.”
“Why?”
“Leaving tonight.”
Vincent grabbed Adrian's coat.
“I killed Marco.”
Adrian's face went blank.
“I told myself it was necessary.”
Vincent coughed.
“It wasn't.”
“Why are you telling me?”
“Because Raymond will kill Claire.”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“He knows she memorized the accounts.”
Vincent handed him a key.
“Locker 317.”
“What is it?”
“Everything.”
Vincent died before the ambulance arrived.
Adrian looked at the man who had helped raise him.
He expected satisfaction.
There was none.
Only exhaustion.
Locker 317 contained Marco's original ledger.
And a letter.
Adrian,
If you're reading this, somebody finally told the truth.
Don't avenge me.
End it.
M.
Adrian read those two words repeatedly.
End it.
Not avenge me.
End it.
So Adrian made a decision no Moretti had made in generations.
He called the federal prosecutor.
Two hours later, Adrian Moretti walked into the freight terminal wearing a wire.
Raymond stood beside a private rail car.
Claire was supposed to remain with Marcus.
She didn't.
She arrived through the opposite entrance after realizing Raymond's account numbers contained coordinates.
Raymond saw her first.
He raised his gun.
Adrian moved between them.
The bullet struck Adrian's shoulder.
Claire screamed.
Federal agents surged from both entrances.
Raymond grabbed Claire.
Gun against her throat.
“Back away!”
Everyone froze.
Adrian pressed a hand against his bleeding shoulder.
“Raymond.”
“Shut up.”
“You lost.”
“I have her.”
“No.”
Adrian looked at Claire.
“You have someone who isn't afraid of you anymore.”
Claire understood.
She drove her heel backward into Raymond's knee.
He stumbled.
Adrian lunged.
The gun fired harmlessly into the ceiling.
Agents tackled Raymond.
Claire ran toward Adrian.
He collapsed.
She caught him.
“Stay with me.”
He smiled faintly.
“You're terrible at following instructions.”
“You're bleeding.”
“I noticed.”
“Adrian.”
His eyes began closing.
Claire slapped his cheek gently.
“No. You don't get to do the dramatic dying thing.”
He almost laughed.
“Bossy.”
“Stay awake.”
“Claire.”
“What?”
“When I wake up…”
“You're going to wake up.”
“When I wake up, have dinner with me.”
She stared at him.
“You got shot and you're asking me out?”
“Timing has never been my strength.”
Claire started laughing and crying simultaneously.
“Yes.”
Adrian's eyes closed.
“Good.”
“Adrian?”
The paramedics reached them.
May you like
And for the first time since this nightmare began, Claire was terrified not because someone wanted to kill her.
She was terrified because she had finally found someone she could not bear to lose.
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