Chapter 6 - The Library
The library of the Moretti estate was a massive, two-story room lined with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves, rare leather-bound books, and a grand stone fireplace that crackled with burning oak logs.
Leo Moretti sat in a high-backed leather armchair near the fire, a glass of twenty-year-old scotch in his hand, casually scrolling through a tablet. He wore a cashmere sweater, tailored trousers, and soft leather loafers.
When the heavy double doors of the library slammed open, Leo looked up with an annoyed frown.
“Dominic? What’s with the dramatic entry? I’m reading the quarterly shipping reports—”
Leo stopped speaking.
Dominic walked into the room, followed by Marco and three heavy-set security men who immediately positioned themselves in front of the doors, locking the brass handles from the inside.
Dominic walked over to the fire, stood before his brother, and pulled the notched brass skeleton key from his pocket.
He dropped the heavy key into Leo’s lap.
The key landed with a soft thud against Leo’s trousers.
Leo looked down at the key. The color drained from his face so fast it looked as if his blood had stopped pumping entirely.
“Dominic...” Leo stammered, his fingers twitching over his scotch glass. “What... what is this?”
“That’s the key to the cellar beneath your feet,” Dominic said, his voice flat, quiet, and terrifyingly calm. “The cellar where nine million euros of Julian Bellandi’s money is currently sitting.”
Leo swallowed hard. He tried to laugh—a short, nervous sound that died instantly in the quiet room. “Dominic, you’re crazy. I don't know what you’re talking about. Victor handles the lower storage—"
“Victor is tied to a chair in that cellar right now,” Dominic cut in. “And he’s spent the last twenty minutes giving Marco every name, date, and account number involved in your little partnership.”
Leo set his scotch glass down on the side table with a sharp clack. His hands were shaking violently now.
“He’s lying!” Leo shouted, standing up from his chair. “Victor is a crooked guard! He’s trying to shift the blame onto me because he got caught stealing—”
“Victor didn't set up encrypted satellite comms in the basement, Leo,” Dominic said, taking a step forward into his brother’s space. “Victor doesn't have an account at the North Manhattan Commercial Bank. And Victor doesn't have Julian Bellandi’s private cell number saved under a fake contact on his phone.”
Leo took a step back, his back hitting the heavy mahogany bookshelf.
“Dominic, listen to me,” Leo pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation. “You don't understand how the world works anymore! The feds have been building a RICO case against you for two years! They’re going to freeze every account the family owns by the summer! I was trying to protect us! I was creating an offshore reserve so when the syndicate falls, we don't end up penniless!”
“You starved Bruno,” Dominic said quietly.
Leo blinked, caught off guard by the sentence. “What?”
“You starved our father’s dog,” Dominic repeated, his eyes dark as pitch. “Victor cut his food for two weeks because the dog barked whenever Bellandi’s couriers brought the cash through the service lane. You let an animal that guarded this family for ten years rot in his own waste so you could fill a cellar with dirty euro notes.”
“It’s just a dog, Dominic!” Leo yelled, his face turning red with frustration and terror. “A dog! We’re talking about forty million dollars! We’re talking about the future of this family!”
Dominic looked at his younger brother. For thirty years, Dominic had believed he was protecting his father’s legacy by keeping Leo clean. He had believed Leo was better than the violence, better than the betrayal.
Now, he realized the truth. Leo wasn't clean. He was simply a coward who used other men to do his dirty work.
“You’re wrong, Leo,” Dominic said softly. “The family isn't the money. The family is the loyalty. And you don't have a single drop of it in your blood.”
Dominic turned his back on his brother.
“Marco.”
“Yes, Boss?”
“Take my brother down to the cellar. Let him sit with Victor until Julian Bellandi arrives tonight.”
Leo’s eyes went wide with sheer panic. “Bellandi? Why is Bellandi coming here?”
May you like
Dominic turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder.
“Because I just called him from Victor’s satellite phone,” Dominic said smoothly. “I told him his money was ready for pickup.”
