CHAPTER 28 THE POINT OF NO RETURN #2
The other Tommy—the one advancing—raised his gun, his aim steady. Dario didn’t flinch. He’d known Dominic would pull something like this. The Boss didn’t trust anyone to handle Marsh alone, not even Dario. But this wasn’t about trust. It was about control.
“Dario Vitale,” the advancing Tommy called out, his voice cold. “Stand down. Marsh is mine.”
Dario rose slowly, his hands at his sides, his expression unreadable. “You’re out of your depth, Tommy,” he said, his voice calm but edged with steel. “Marsh isn’t just a hit. He’s a problem. And problems require finesse.”
The other Tommy hesitated, his grip on the gun faltering for a moment. Dario took a step forward, his gaze locked on the younger man. “Dominic sent you because he thinks you’re expendable. I’m here because I’m not.”
The words hit their mark. Tommy’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t lower the gun.
Dario didn’t give him the chance. In one fluid motion, he closed the distance between them, his hand snapping out to disarm the younger man.
The gun clattered to the floor, and Dario’s other hand grabbed Tommy’s collar, shoving him back against the wall.
“Listen carefully,” Dario said, his voice low but venomous. “You don’t get to second-guess me. You don’t get to interfere. And you sure as hell don’t get to point a gun at me unless you’re ready to pull the trigger.”
Tommy’s eyes widened, but he didn’t struggle. Dario released him with a shove, his gaze flicking to the shadows behind them. Marsh was here. He could feel it.
“Stay out of my way,” Dario said, his tone final. “Or I’ll make sure Dominic’s next cleanup job is yours.”
Tommy’s face paled, but he nodded, stepping back. Dario didn’t wait for further acknowledgment. He turned, motioning for the real Tommy to follow. The warehouse was a maze of machinery and shadows, but Dario moved with purpose, his steps silent against the concrete floor.
They found Marsh near the far wall, his back pressed against a steel beam, his breathing ragged. He looked up as Dario approached, his eyes wide with fear.
“Vitale,” Marsh said, his voice trembling. “I can explain—”
Dario didn’t let him finish. He grabbed Marsh by the collar, hauling him to his feet. “You’ve done enough talking,” he said, his voice cold. “Now you’re going to listen.”
Marsh struggled, but Dario’s grip was unyielding. He dragged the man toward the exit, Tommy following close behind. The machinery’s hum faded as they moved, replaced by the sound of Marsh’s panicked breathing.
“You don’t understand,” Marsh gasped. “I was forced—”
Dario’s fist connected with Marsh’s jaw, silencing him. “Save it,” he said, his tone icy. “You’re going to tell me everything. But not here.”
Tommy glanced over his shoulder, his expression tense. “What about the other Tommy?”
Dario didn’t look back. “Leave him. He’s Dominic’s problem now.”
The night air hit them as they stepped outside, cold and sharp. Dario shoved Marsh into the waiting car, his movements precise. Tommy slid into the driver’s seat, his hands steady on the wheel.
“Where to?” he asked, his voice tight.
Dario’s gaze was hard as he met Tommy’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Somewhere Marsh won’t be found.”
The car peeled away from the warehouse, leaving the shadows behind. But Dario knew this wasn’t over. Marsh was just the beginning. And Dominic’s interference was a warning—one Dario couldn’t afford to ignore.
Tommy hit the gas, the car lurching forward as tires screeched against asphalt.
The warehouse district blurred past, streetlights flickering like dying stars.
In the backseat, Dario braced a hand against the doorframe, his other gripping the back of Tommy’s seat.
Evelyn’s breath came sharp beside him—close enough that Dario caught the scent of gunpowder clinging to her skin.
"Federal plates," Dominic muttered from the passenger seat, his gaze locked on the side mirror. "Two blocks back."
Tommy’s jaw tightened. He didn’t need the warning. He’d clocked the black SUVs the second they’d swung onto the road.
The first shot shattered the rear windshield.
Glass rained down as Tommy swerved, the car fishtailing before he wrestled control back. Dario didn’t flinch. He reached under his coat, pulled his piece, and fired three rounds through the broken window without hesitation. One of the SUVs veered sharply, clipping a lamppost before righting itself.
"Reinforcements," Evelyn said, voice clipped. "They’re boxing us in."
Another SUV roared up from a side street, cutting them off. Tommy slammed the brakes, the car skidding to a stop just shy of a collision. The doors of the federal vehicles flew open, agents spilling out with rifles raised.
"Out of the car! Hands where we can see them!"
Dominic’s hand twitched toward his holster. Dario caught his wrist. "Not here."
Tommy’s fingers flexed on the wheel. He could floor it—ram through the blockade. But the second SUV was already angling to block any escape.
Evelyn leaned forward, her voice low. "They want Marsh. They don’t know who we are."
Dario’s gaze flicked to her. "Yet."
The lead agent yanked open Tommy’s door, dragging him out before he could react. Tommy hit the pavement hard, his breath knocked out of him as a knee dug into his back. Cold metal pressed against his temple.
"Tommy Caruso. You’re coming with us."
Dario’s expression didn’t change, but his fingers curled into a fist against the seat.
Evelyn’s hand slid to her thigh, where a blade was strapped. Dario shook his head once.
Not here. Not now.
The agent hauled Tommy to his feet, cuffing his wrists behind his back. Blood trickled from a cut above Tommy’s eyebrow, but his stare stayed locked on Dario. No plea in his eyes. Just a question.
Dario gave him a single nod.
Then the feds shoved Tommy into the back of their SUV. The doors slammed shut.
The remaining agents swept their flashlights over the car’s interior. One of them frowned at Dominic. "You. ID."
Dominic reached slowly for his wallet. The badge inside was a convincing fake, but it wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
Evelyn shifted, drawing the agent’s attention. "We’re just passing through," she said, voice smooth. "Wrong place, wrong time."
The agent’s grip tightened on his rifle. "Step out of the vehicle."
Dario exhaled through his nose. Then he moved.
His elbow caught the nearest agent in the throat. The man gagged, stumbling back as Dario wrenched the rifle from his grip and swung it like a club. Bone cracked against metal.
Evelyn was already moving, her knife flashing as she slashed at the second agent’s arm. He yelled, dropping his weapon. Dominic lunged for the driver’s seat.
The engine roared to life.
Dario grabbed Evelyn’s wrist, hauling her into the car as Dominic peeled away. Gunfire erupted behind them, bullets pinging off the trunk.
In the rearview mirror, the federal SUVs shrank into the distance—one of them carrying Tommy.
Dominic’s knuckles were white on the wheel. "They’ll interrogate him."
Dario checked his clip. Two rounds left. "He knows the rules."
Evelyn wiped her blade clean on her thigh. "They’ll break him."
Dario’s smile was thin. "Let them try."
The car vanished into the night.
And Tommy’s silence became the next problem to solve.
The car’s radio hissed static before the emergency broadcast tone cut through. Dominic twisted the volume knob, his knuckles white on the wheel.
"—repeat, federal agents have identified Thomas Caruso as a known associate of Dario Vitale, consigliere to the Moretti crime syndicate. Authorities warn Vitale is armed and—"
Evelyn reached over and snapped it off. "That’s trouble."
Dario didn’t look up from his phone. "Expected." He tapped out a message, the screen’s glow sharpening the angles of his face. "Tommy knows the rules. He holds or he doesn’t."
Dominic’s jaw worked. "Kid’s got no priors. They’ll sweat him hard."
"He’s mine," Dario said, too quiet. "They know that now."
Evelyn studied him. "You wanted this."
A muscle jumped in his temple. The phone screen went dark. "I want him back."
Outside, the city lights blurred past. Daniel Marsh, crammed in the far seat, cleared his throat. "If they’ve got him in federal custody—"
"They don’t." Dario pocketed the phone. "They’ll move him. And when they do, we’ll be waiting."
Dominic shot him a look. "You got eyes on the transfer?"
"Not yet." Dario’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "But Tommy does."
Evelyn’s fingers flexed against her thigh. "He’s not trained for that."
"He’s trained to follow orders." Dario turned his head, meeting her gaze. "Same as you."
The car hit a pothole. Daniel winced as his shoulder slammed the door. "You’re betting a lot on one kid’s loyalty."
Dario’s voice dropped to a blade’s edge. "He’s not the one I’m betting on."
A new rule-clue: Tommy’s never been arrested before—feds won’t expect the tracker sewn into his boot heel.
Dominic exhaled through his nose. "Where to?"
Dario watched the streets. "Let’s see how far they take him."
The engine growled as Dominic eased off the gas, letting the car drift into the slower lanes.
Rain began to speckle the windshield, smearing the neon signs into watery streaks.
Evelyn leaned forward, her breath fogging the glass for a second before she wiped it clear with the heel of her hand.
"They won’t keep him at the precinct," she muttered. "Not with his name tied to you."
Dario didn’t answer. His thumb traced the edge of his phone, the movement deliberate, like he was counting seconds.
Daniel shifted, his knee knocking against the center console. "You really think he’ll keep the tracker active? Feds sweep for that shit the second they process him."
"He will." Dario’s voice was flat. "Because if he doesn’t, he knows what happens to his sister."
The words hung there, ugly and final. Dominic’s grip on the wheel tightened, but he didn’t argue. Some lines, once crossed, didn’t need repeating.
A faint chime cut through the silence. Dario’s screen lit up—a single blinking dot on a grid, moving northeast. His lips thinned. "Got him."
Evelyn craned her neck to see. "That’s not toward any holding facility."