Chapter 9 - The Final Stand
The rain had turned into a torrential downpour by the time Vincent arrived at Donato Marcone’s private estate on the outskirts of the city. He didn't come with stealth. He came with a convoy of twenty vehicles, heavy weaponry, and the full, terrifying might of his entire empire.
The gates were rammed open. The estate security was overwhelmed within minutes. Vincent walked through the front doors of Marcone’s mansion just as he had walked into his own house six months prior: an absolute monarch reclaiming his domain.
He found Donato in his upstairs office, frantically trying to pack a duffel bag with cash and passports.
"Going somewhere, Donato?" Vincent asked, standing in the doorway.
Donato spun around, pulling a compact pistol from his waistband, but Vincent was faster. A single shot shattered Donato’s wrist, sending his gun clattering across the floor. Donato screamed, falling to his knees, clutching his bleeding arm.
"Vincent! Wait! We can make a deal!" Donato begged, staring up at the man he had foolishly underestimated. "Take the docks! Take the West Side! I'll leave the city! Just let me live!"
Vincent walked over, looking down at his rival with cold detachment. "You made a mistake, Donato. You thought my compassion made me weak. You thought because I found something worth protecting, I had forgotten how to destroy."
He pressed the barrel of his gun against Donato’s forehead. "You threatened a child in my house. There are no deals for that."
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Bang.
The city’s longest-standing rivalry ended in a split second. By dawn, the Marcone empire was dismantled, swallowed up by the Torino family, its assets seized and its leadership permanently erased. The underworld had received its definitive answer: Vincent Torino was more dangerous than he had ever been, because now, he had something to fight for.
