Chapter 8 - The Language of War
Chloe found Gabriel in the wine cellar.
He was standing.
For one second that was all she cared about.
Then she saw the gun in Salvatore’s hand.
Sofia stood against the far wall.
Gabriel’s security team could not enter without giving Salvatore a clear shot.
Salvatore had positioned himself behind a stone column with the weapon pointed at Gabriel.
“Drop yours.”
Salvatore ordered.
Gabriel slowly lowered his gun.
Chloe stopped at the doorway.
Salvatore saw her.
His smile widened.
“The interpreter.”
Gabriel’s eyes flashed.
“Leave her out of this.”
“She put herself in it.”
Chloe stayed still.
Sofia spoke.
“Salvatore, this is over.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“It ends when Beatrice gives me the list.”
“She never will.”
“Then Gabriel dies.”
Chloe’s pulse hammered.
Behind her, Beatrice appeared.
Salvatore smiled.
“There she is.”
Gabriel’s expression became furious.
“Ma, go.”
Beatrice ignored him.
Of course she did.
Salvatore raised his gun.
“Tell her.”
Chloe swallowed.
“Tell her what?”
“She gives me the location.”
“Or?”
Salvatore pointed the weapon directly at Gabriel’s chest.
Chloe’s hands trembled.
Beatrice stared at the gun.
Then at her son.
She signed.
Ask him why Leo had to die.
Chloe translated.
Salvatore sighed.
“Because Leo was stubborn.”
Beatrice signed.
Like Gabriel.
“Yes.”
Salvatore smiled.
“Exactly like Gabriel.”
“He thought truth mattered more than survival.”
Chloe’s stomach turned.
Salvatore continued.
“Leo should have handed over the files.”
“He refused.”
“He ran.”
“So I had Victor stop him.”
Chloe’s eyes burned.
“You ordered Victor to hit his car?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation.
No regret.
“The drunk driver was an inconvenience.”
“So we made him useful.”
Chloe had imagined this moment for two years.
She had imagined screaming.
She had imagined rage.
Instead she felt strangely calm.
“You murdered a nineteen-year-old because he wouldn’t stay silent.”
Salvatore shrugged.
“I protected a structure that existed before any of you were born.”
Gabriel spoke.
“My father is dead.”
“His structure doesn’t need to be.”
“It does.”
Salvatore looked disappointed.
“You always were too soft.”
Gabriel almost laughed.
“People around here keep saying that while also accusing me of being terrifying.”
“You mistake fear for respect.”
Salvatore said.
“Your father understood the difference.”
Beatrice signed.
His father died alone.
Chloe translated.
Salvatore’s face darkened.
Beatrice continued.
Nobody cried.
Gabriel looked at her.
She signed again.
Not even me.
Salvatore raised the weapon toward Beatrice.
Gabriel stepped forward.
“Don’t.”
Salvatore smiled.
“Then tell your mother to stop talking.”
The sentence hung in the cellar.
Chloe looked at Beatrice.
Beatrice looked at Salvatore.
Then she laughed silently.
Her hands moved.
You spent twenty years believing silence meant obedience.
Salvatore frowned.
Chloe translated.
Beatrice signed faster.
My husband did too.
Dominic did too.
Gabriel did too.
Gabriel’s face tightened.
Beatrice looked at her son.
But he learned.
Then she turned toward Salvatore.
You never did.
Salvatore’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Chloe saw Gabriel’s left hand move near his thigh.
Small.
Hidden from Salvatore.
Two.
Chloe stared.
Gabriel signed again.
Two.
Then.
Down.
He was counting.
Chloe understood.
She looked at Beatrice.
Beatrice saw too.
Sofia did not.
Chloe subtly shifted her hand.
Three.
Beatrice nodded.
Salvatore barked.
“What are you doing?”
Chloe smiled.
“Translating.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Exactly.”
Salvatore looked confused.
Gabriel signed.
One.
Chloe held her breath.
Two.
Beatrice suddenly dropped.
Three.
Gabriel lunged sideways.
Chloe threw the nearest wine bottle.
It smashed against Salvatore’s wrist.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Sofia tackled him.
Gabriel crossed the room in two strides.
He ripped the weapon free.
Security flooded inside.
Salvatore hit the floor.
For several seconds nobody moved.
Then Gabriel stood over the man who had taught him almost everything he knew about power.
Salvatore looked up.
“Do it.”
Gabriel held the gun.
“Go ahead.”
Salvatore smiled.
“Prove you’re your father’s son.”
Gabriel stared at him.
Chloe’s chest tightened.
Beatrice rose slowly.
Her hands moved.
No.
Gabriel saw.
For a moment Chloe wondered whether he understood.
Then he lowered the gun.
“I’m not.”
Salvatore’s smile disappeared.
Gabriel handed the weapon to security.
“Turn him over to the federal team.”
Salvatore shouted.
“You think prison changes anything?”
Gabriel walked away.
Salvatore struggled against the men holding him.
“You think exposing the list will clean your name?”
“No.”
Gabriel turned back.
“My name doesn’t need cleaning.”
“It needs rebuilding.”
Salvatore laughed.
“You don’t rebuild an empire with apologies.”
Gabriel looked toward Beatrice.
“No.”
Then toward Chloe.
“You rebuild by deciding what survives.”
Salvatore was taken away.
Sofia sat on the cellar floor.
Her shoulder was bleeding where broken glass had cut her.
Chloe handed her a cloth.
Sofia looked surprised.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
Chloe said.
“I’m still furious with you.”
“That seems fair.”
“You threatened Patrick’s family.”
“I did.”
“You terrified me.”
“Yes.”
“You manipulated everyone.”
“Yes.”
Chloe crossed her arms.
“You’re very annoying to argue with.”
Sofia smiled faintly.
“I’ve heard.”
Gabriel approached.
“Where is Dominic?”
Sofia’s smile disappeared.
“I don’t know.”
“Salvatore controlled him?”
“Until Dominic learned about the trust.”
“So now Dominic wants Chloe dead for himself.”
“Yes.”
A security man entered.
“Mr. Costello.”
Gabriel looked over.
“Federal agents have Salvatore.”
“Good.”
“There’s another problem.”
Gabriel sighed.
“Of course there is.”
“Dominic took Mrs. Costello’s driver.”
Beatrice looked alarmed.
“Rosa?”
The man nodded.
“He left a phone in her vehicle.”
Gabriel took it.
A prerecorded video played.
Rosa sat tied to a chair inside what appeared to be a warehouse.
Dominic stood behind her.
His sapphire ring flashed under fluorescent light.
“Gabriel.”
Dominic said.
“Congratulations.”
“You finally discovered the old man behind the curtain.”
“But Salvatore doesn’t matter anymore.”
“He never understood what the trust was worth.”
Dominic leaned closer to the camera.
“I do.”
He held up a document.
Chloe recognized the Costello crest.
“Bring me Chloe Bennett.”
“Bring me Leo’s trust papers.”
“And bring me the list.”
Gabriel looked at Beatrice.
Dominic smiled.
“You have until midnight.”
“If you call the police, Rosa disappears.”
“If you send your soldiers, Rosa disappears.”
“And if your little waitress decides to play brave again…”
He looked directly into the camera.
“I’ll tell her exactly what Leo said before he died.”
The video ended.
Chloe could not breathe.
Gabriel turned toward her.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“No what?”
“You’re not going.”
“Rosa is there because of us.”
“No.”
“You don’t get to decide.”
“I absolutely do.”
Chloe stepped closer.
“You just spent three chapters of your life learning that you don’t get to silence people because you’re scared of what they’ll say.”
Gabriel stared at her.
Behind them Beatrice smiled despite everything.
Gabriel noticed.
“This is not funny.”
Beatrice signed.
A little.
Gabriel rubbed his forehead.
Chloe looked at Sofia.
“Where would Dominic take Rosa?”
Sofia thought.
“If he wants the trust papers, somewhere connected to the old family.”
Gabriel answered instantly.
“Pier Forty-Eight.”
Chloe remembered.
One of Beatrice’s first warnings.
Three stolen shipments.
Pier Forty-Eight.
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“That’s where this started.”
May you like
Chloe looked at him.
“Then that’s where we finish it.”
