Chapter 6
The heavy brass bell above Bellanote’s front door chimed violently, not with the polite ring of a customer, but with the jarring impact of the door being shoved open by force.
Dante’s head snapped up. In an instant, the vulnerable father vanished, replaced entirely by the lethal syndicate boss. His pale gray eyes tracked the front entrance. Through the frosted glass partitions, Maya could see the blurred silhouettes of two large men wearing long, dark trench coats stepping into the foyer.
The atmosphere in the restaurant shifted dramatically. The soft jazz music seemed to fade beneath the sudden, palpable tension. Diners stopped chewing. Tony Martinelli emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel, his face pale and drawn.
Dante’s hand slipped smoothly beneath his charcoal suit jacket. Maya saw the unmistakable glint of dark metal resting in a shoulder holster. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"What is happening?" Maya whispered, her voice trembling.
"We have company," Dante said, his eyes never leaving the front of the restaurant. He pulled a black burner phone from his pocket, dialing a single number without looking at the keypad. He raised it to his ear. "Status."
A pause. Then, Dante swore violently in Italian. "How many?" he demanded softly into the phone. "Block the street. Nobody gets out of the vehicles."
He hung up and dropped the phone onto the table. He turned to Maya, his expression forged in absolute, terrifying resolve.
"Listen to me very carefully," Dante said, his voice a low, commanding whisper. "The men who took my wife just figured out where I am. They have three SUVs blocking the front and back alleys."
Maya felt the blood drain from her face. She looked at Sophia, who had frozen, the piece of bread halfway to her mouth. The little girl’s eyes were wide, staring at her father in sheer terror.
"Take her," Dante ordered, pointing a massive finger at Maya. "Take her to the back kitchen. There is a steel door behind the walk-in freezer. You lock it from the inside and you do not open it for anyone except me. Do you understand?"
"Dante, I can't—" Maya stammered, panic rising in her chest.
"Do you understand?!" Dante hissed, leaning across the table, his eyes burning with desperate intensity. "If they get to her, they kill her. She is the only witness. You are the only person she trusts right now. Take her and run. Now."
Maya didn't think. Instinct took over. She slid out of the booth, grabbing Sophia’s hand. The little girl didn't resist; she clung to Maya with a desperate, crushing grip, dropping her crayons onto the table.
As Maya pulled Sophia toward the kitchen doors, Dante stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket, obscuring the weapon, and began walking slowly, deliberately toward the front of the restaurant.
"Marco!" Dante shouted, his voice booming over the terrified whispers of the dining room. "Get your patrons on the floor. Now."
Chaos erupted. Chairs scraped violently against the hardwood. Glasses shattered as wealthy patrons dove under their tables.
Maya scooped Sophia into her arms. The five-year-old was remarkably light, her small arms wrapping tightly around Maya’s neck, burying her face into Maya’s shoulder. Maya kicked open the swinging kitchen doors just as the first sound of shattering glass echoed from the front of the restaurant.
"Tony!" Maya screamed as she burst into the stainless-steel kitchen.
May you like
The older man was already pulling a heavy shotgun from beneath the chef’s counter, his hands shaking violently. "To the back, Maya! The freezer! Go!"
Maya sprinted past the roaring stoves and panicked line cooks, carrying the daughter of a mafia boss into the darkest corner of the restaurant, praying she wouldn't be followed.
