Chapter 4 - The Leverage of Shadows
"Where is she, Rossi?" Alessandro’s voice didn't rise in volume, but it carried a deadly, freezing weight that made the mockery fade from Rossi's face.
"Oh, she's safe enough," Rossi chuckled, pulling a lit cigar from his pocket and taking a slow drag. "For now. Warm, dry, and wondering why the big bad mob boss she liked to draw pictures with hasn't come to save her yet."
"You made a mistake bringing her into this," Alessandro said, taking a slow step toward the metal staircase leading up to the catwalk.
"Stay right where you are, Romano!" Rossi snapped, his voice turning sharp as he pulled a remote detonator from his coat pocket. "One twitch toward that holster and I press this button. The charges wired to these support pillars will bring this whole century-old roof right down on your head—and on the little girl hidden in the sub-basement beneath your feet."
Alessandro stopped dead. His calculations raced through his mind with algorithmic precision. If he rushed the stairs, Rossi could trigger the explosives before he cleared the top landing.
"What do you want, Salvatore?" Alessandro demanded, keeping his hands visible at his sides. "Money? The north-side docks? Name your price."
Rossi laughed bitterly, tossing his cigar down onto the concrete below where it hissed out in a puddle. "I don't want your docks, Alessandro. I want your throne. I want you to walk out of this city, leave the syndicate to me, and sign over every corporate shell company you own by midnight. If you don't, the girl goes into the river, piece by piece, and I mail them to Clara."
Alessandro felt a surge of pure, murderous rage clawing at his throat—a fury so intense it threatened to drown out his tactical thinking. But then he thought of Lily’s small hands clutching his finger, of her trusting eyes as she listened to his heartbeat in the dark study.
"You think a piece of paper is going to save you from what I'm going to do to you?" Alessandro whispered, his eyes locking onto Rossi with terrifying intensity.
"It's not paper that saves me," Rossi smiled, raising his hand higher with the detonator. "It's leverage. Now, drop your weapons. On your knees. Hands behind your head."
Alessandro slowly unclipped his holster, letting his custom pistol drop to the concrete. He lowered himself onto one knee in the freezing dust.
Rossi laughed aloud, high and triumphant, signaling two hidden enforcers to emerge from the shadows behind Alessandro with heavy zip-ties.
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"Tie him up tight," Rossi ordered, turning toward the back stairwell to retrieve the child. "Let's see how tough the great Romano is when he's watching his world burn."
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