Chapter 7 - The Inner Circle
The leather seats of the Mercedes smelled of rain and cold leather as they sped through the gray Chicago dawn, heading back toward the Gold Coast estate. In the back seat, Lily had finally fallen asleep against Clara’s shoulder, her breathing deep and even, though her small fingers were still tangled in the fabric of Clara's sweater.
Up front, Alessandro sat in silence, staring straight ahead through the windshield while Vance drove, keeping a tight grip on the encrypted car radio.
"Rossi didn't give a name before the local precinct picked him up for processing," Vance said, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror to check on Alessandro. "He claimed the traitor inside our ranks has been feeding us false intel for months. Boss, if there's a mole at the executive level..."
"It’s not one of the street capos," Alessandro interrupted, his voice ice-cold. "They don't have access to the biometric override codes for the private archives. Only three people outside of myself had the clearance to download the estate's floor plans and security protocols."
Vance gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "You, me... and Marcus."
Marcus Vance was no relation to the captain; he was Alessandro’s chief financial officer, a man who had managed the syndicate’s legitimate shipping portfolios and offshore accounts for over fifteen years. A man Alessandro had trusted with his life during the brutal turf wars of the nineties.
"Marcus has been with us since the beginning," Vance protested, though his tone lacked conviction. "He took a bullet for your father during the Dockworkers' strike."
"Loyalty bought with blood can still be resold for a higher price," Alessandro murmured, resting his elbow on the armrest and pressing his thumb against his lips. "When we get back to the estate, I want every communication log from Marcus’s private terminal pulled and cross-referenced with the burner numbers that contacted Rossi."
"And if he's clean?"
"Then we widen the search," Alessandro replied quietly. "But nobody gets a free pass today."
When the Mercedes swept through the wrought-iron gates of the estate, the morning sun was finally piercing through the heavy cloud cover, casting long, golden shadows across the limestone courtyard.
Dr. Michael Grant was waiting by the front steps, holding a medical bag. He hurried over as soon as the car doors opened, helping Clara guide a still-exhausted Lily out of the vehicle and toward the warmth of the main foyer.
Alessandro stepped out last, his dark overcoat fluttering in the bitter wind. He turned to Vance before walking up the stone steps.
"Where is Marcus?"
"In your private study," Vance said grimly. "He called ten minutes ago. Said he had an urgent financial audit that couldn't wait until noon."
May you like
Alessandro’s hand slid instinctively toward his hidden shoulder holster. "Lock the perimeter doors. Nobody leaves the grounds until I walk out of that study."
---
