Chapter 6 - The Shadows in the Rose Garden
Carmine was dragged away screaming,
his polished leather shoes scraping against the cold marble floor,
while the lingering smell of spilled Scotch filled the room.
Gabriel sat motionless in his wheelchair,
his dark eyes cold as ice,
watching his own blood relative meet his fate.
The six council bosses stood in heavy silence,
their eyes wide with newfound respect and underlying terror.
None of them dared to speak,
none of them dared to look away from the red light of the projector,
which still flickered against the mahogany wall behind the empty chair.
"Let this be a reminder to everyone at this table,"
Gabriel said,
his voice low,
smooth,
and echoing like thunder through the massive dining hall.
"The Moretti family is not weak,"
"and I am far from helpless."
"If any of you entertain the thought of finished what Carmine started,"
"remember that I see everything,"
"and my nurse remembers every detail."
The oldest council boss stepped forward,
placing his right hand over his heart,
bowing his head slightly toward Gabriel.
"We stand with you,
Don Moretti,"
the old man said,
his voice trembling slightly.
"Carmine’s treachery is a sin against our code."
"He will be handled accordingly."
One by one,
the council members made their solemn pledges,
leaving their untouched glasses of expensive Scotch behind,
and exiting the hall under the watchful gaze of Vincent’s armed men.
When the heavy double doors finally clicked shut,
the suffocating tension in the room snapped.
I let out a long breath I didn't realize I was holding,
my fingers slowly releasing the edge of the silver tray.
"You did it,"
I whispered,
walking over to Gabriel’s side,
looking down at his broad shoulders.
"You took down your own uncle without firing a single bullet."
Gabriel didn't answer right away.
He slowly turned his head to look up at me,
the intense,
lethal expression fading from his face,
replaced by an overwhelming exhaustion.
"It was never about firing bullets,
Maya,"
he said quietly,
reaching up to gently take my hand from the armrest.
His skin was warm,
his calloused thumb lightly rubbing the back of my knuckles.
"It was about exposing the rat."
"Carmine wasn't working alone,"
he added,
his jaw tightening again.
"A man like my uncle is a coward."
"He wouldn't have dared to pull that trigger unless he had a powerful backer outside our territory."
I blinked,
the blood in my veins running cold.
"You mean... another family?"
"The Romanov syndicate,"
Gabriel murmured,
his dark eyes searching my face.
"They've been trying to claim our shipping ports in New Jersey for five years."
"Carmine promised them thirty percent of our logistics income in exchange for their protection."
He pulled my hand slightly,
forcing me to take a step closer to his chair.
"Which means this fight isn't over,
Maya."
"It’s only just begun."
I looked down into his dark,
unwavering eyes,
feeling a strange mixture of terror and fierce determination.
"Then it's a good thing you still have your nurse,"
I said,
a faint smile touching my lips.
"Because somebody has to make sure you take your vitamins while you dismantle an international crime syndicate."
Gabriel’s chest rose and fell as he let out a quiet,
husky laugh.
"You are insane,"
he whispered,
May you like
his fingers tightening gently around mine.
"And I think you're the best thing that ever happened to me."
