34. Alessandro #2
For the first time in years, I feel fear. Not for myself, but for what happens to Isabella and our child if I fall here. If all three Dante brothers die and our empire collapses.
A Vitale soldier rushes my position. I put two bullets in his chest, watching as he crumples.
"Alessandro!" Adriano's voice cuts through the chaos. "We need to retreat or go!"
I close my eyes for just a fraction of a second. Isabella's face appears. Not as I last saw her, pale and weak, but vibrant and fierce as she stood her ground against me. Against her family.
My eyes snap open. “Fuck that. Advance.” I rise from cover, shooting two Vitale men in quick succession.
"Take the west corridor!" I command, signaling Adriano and three of our men to flank the main contingent of Vitale soldiers. "Luca—with me!"
A new round of gunfire ignites outside, and I pray to God it’s my men and not more Vitale men.
My brother falls in behind me as we surge forward, using the surprise to push through the central hallway.
A soldier appears at the top of the staircase. I drop him with a single shot before he can even raise his weapon. Another emerges from a side room. Luca dispatches him and the man behind him.
“Yippee-ki-yay,” Cristian’s voice comes through my comms. “Die, motherfuckers. Backup is here.”
Thank fuck.
The world explodes in more gunfire, inside and out.
“Where’s Marco and Enrico… pussy cowards,” Luca calls as he fires into the face of one of Vitale's men.
"There’s a panic room behind the study," I remind Luca as we clear each room systematically.
Gunfire erupts from the west wing, followed by Adriano's voice through our comms. "West secured.”
“Boss, Vitale men dropping arms outside,” Cristian says through the comms.
Vitale men are surrendering. I allow myself a grim smile. The tide is turning.
We reach the study doorway, and I kick it open, splintering the wood. The room is empty, but the bookshelf stands ajar, revealing the panic room entrance beyond.
"Alessandro!" Adriano's voice comes through the comms again, breathless with exertion. "We've got Enrico. He tried to escape through the tunnels."
"Bring him to the study," I order.
Luca and I position ourselves facing the panic room door. Marco sealed himself in without realizing he'd trapped himself with nowhere to run.
I press the intercom beside the door. "Marco. Your men have surrendered. Your son is captured. This ends now."
I turn to see Adriano dragging a bloodied Enrico into the room, forcing him to his knees before me. The spoiled heir to the Vitale legacy, now trembling at my feet.
"Open the door, Marco," I command as three more of my men join us. "Or I'll make you listen while I ensure your family name dies with you."
“Fuck you, Dante.”
“Fine. I’ll just burn the house down with you in it.” I wonder if his wife is with him. I turn to Enrico. “Where’s your mother?”
“Fuck you.”
“Search the house in case she’s not with Marco.”
Luca nods and leaves the room with one of the men.
“Get me some paper. Who smokes? Anyone got a lighter?”
One of Luca’s men grabs paper from the trash while one of mine pulls out a lighter. I roll the paper into a tube and light it, setting it under the seam of the door. Who the hell knows if the smoke will go through, but it’s worth a shot.
The fire alarm goes off.
“Ready to burn, Marco, you motherfucking coward? I don’t care how you die, but you’ll die by my hand for what you did to my wife.”
“The wife you threw away,” Enrico sneers.
I hit him on the side of the head with my gun, knocking him over.
The paper has finished burning and is dying out. “Get me more paper and some sort of accelerant. We’ll just burn it all down.”
“You’ve got my son. He’s your only concern,” Marco’s voice comes from the intercom.
“What the fuck!” Enrico yells.
I laugh. “Daddy is sacrificing you. Lucky for you, I want him dead too.” I hit the intercom. “Last chance, Marco, or you’ll burn in there.”
It’s several moments before the door cracks open, gunshots ring out. Luckily, we’re smart enough to consider that Marco would be armed and take cover.
I fire, hitting Marco’s gun hand. The gun flies out and he cries out, pulling his bloody hand that could be missing a finger or two to his chest.
He finally steps out. "Business is business. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement?"
“Bind them," I order my men. "We're taking them back."
"What are we doing with Vitales?" Adriano asks as the other men tie up Enrico and Marco.
“Whatever I want.” We exit the house, leaving a small army to deal with the remaining men. Time will tell if they’re going to truly surrender and change loyalties or end up dead.
When we get back to the Dante estate, I have Enrico and Marco brought down to the basement lockup while I go to my office.
“I want every Vitale underboss and capo here. They can kiss the ring or die with their boss.”
I head out of my office.
“Hey, where are you going?” Adriano calls out.
“To tell my wife she’s free of those fuckers.
” As I ascend the stairs, I feel a welling of strength and confidence filling my chest. I’ve done it.
I’ve defeated the Bratva and the Vitales.
But more than that, I’ve found a purpose, a reason for existing beyond the duty my father thrust on me. I found love.