Chapter 59 Chapter 59
Damien’s POV
I stared at the message, reading it over and over, each word burning itself into my mind.
“We are ending this century rivalry in blood.”
Not just a threat. A declaration of total war.
“They shot one of my guards dead,” Elder Carter spoke up from across the table, his voice tight with barely controlled fury. “Right in front of me. Just executed him in cold blood to make a point. But I got one of theirs too before I managed to escape.”
Murmurs erupted around the table, the elders exchanging worried glances and hushed conversations.
I slammed my hand down on the table, the sharp crack silencing everyone immediately.
“Gentlemen,” I said, my voice cold and authoritative. “We are at war. Not a skirmish, not a territorial dispute. War. With the Morellis and every gang affiliated with them.”
“What about the police?” Elder Morrison asked, leaning forward. “Specifically, Chief Commander Hayes? He’s been covering for us for years, keeping investigations away from our operations. Will he continue to do so during an all-out war?”
“We’ll bribe him,” I said bluntly. “Double his usual payment if necessary. Triple it. Whatever it takes to keep him looking the other way while we handle this.”
“And if he refuses?” another elder asked.
“Then we’ll find other ways to ensure his cooperation,” I said, the threat implicit. “But Hayes is practical. He knows which side his bread is buttered on. He’ll take the money and stay quiet.”
I stood up, placing my palms flat on the table as I looked at each elder in turn.
“Prepare yourselves,” I said, my voice dropping lower. “This is going to be the bloodiest conflict we’ve seen in years, maybe decades. The Morellis aren’t playing games anymore. They’re going for complete annihilation. Which means we respond in kind.”
“What are your orders, boss?” Elder Castellano asked.
“Mobilize everyone,” I said. “Every soldier, every associate, every person we have on payroll. I want our territories locked down tight. I want surveillance on every known Morelli operation. And I want strike teams ready to move at a moment’s notice.”
The meeting continued for hours, each elder reporting on their sector’s readiness, discussing strategy and tactics, planning for every contingency we could think of.
By the time I finally dismissed them, the sun had set and exhaustion was pulling at the edges of my consciousness.
But I couldn’t rest. Not yet.
As the elders filed out, Kai appeared in the doorway, his expression grim.
“Boss,” he said quietly. “We have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” I asked, already feeling my shoulders tense with new stress.
“The guy who tried to abduct Sophia. He escaped.”
The words hit me like ice water. “What?”
“He’s gone,” Kai confirmed. “We went to check on him, and the cell was empty. Chains still there, but no prisoner.”
Lorenzo, who’d been lingering near the door, stepped forward. “Did you try to kill him, Kai? Is that why he’s missing?”
“No,” Kai said sharply, clearly offended by the implication. “I followed protocol exactly. Miss Sophia asked us to leave her alone with him for a few minutes. Said she needed closure, needed to ask him some questions privately. We stepped outside like she requested. When I came back fifteen minutes later, she was gone and so was he.”
My blood ran cold. “Sophia let him go.”
“It looks that way, boss,” Kai said reluctantly.
“Where is she?” I demanded.
“In her room,” Kai said.
“Get her. Now. And bring her to my office.”
Kai nodded and disappeared.
Lorenzo watched him go, then turned to me. “You think she actually released him? Her own attempted kidnapper?”
“I don’t know,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “But I’m about to find out.”
Ten minutes later, Sophia walked into my office, Kai close behind her. She looked defensive already, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression defiant.
“Dad, before you start yelling….”
“Did you release him?” I interrupted, my voice deadly calm.
“No,” she said immediately. “I didn’t.”
“Then explain to me how he escaped from a locked cell while you were the only person with him.”
“I don’t know,” Sophia said, but her eyes wouldn’t meet mine. “I left him there, chained up, exactly like he was before. Maybe the guards didn’t lock it properly. Maybe he had help. I don’t know.”
“Sophia,” I said quietly. “Look at me.”
She reluctantly raised her eyes to mine.
“Did you let him go?” I asked again.
“I said no,” she insisted, her voice rising slightly. “Why don’t you believe me? Why do you automatically assume I did something wrong?”
“Because you have a history of doing things behind my back,” I said. “Because you leaked information that put Hailey’s life in danger. Because you’ve been acting erratically and making decisions that endanger this entire family.”
“I didn’t let him go!” she shouted.
We stared at each other, and I tried to read the truth in her face. Was she lying? I couldn’t tell anymore.
“The guards who were on duty,” Sophia said suddenly, her tone shifting to something colder. “They’re the ones who should be held responsible. They were supposed to be watching him. They failed in their duty.”
“What are you suggesting?” I asked carefully.
“I’m suggesting that negligence like that can’t be tolerated,” Sophia said, her eyes hard. “If the guards allowed a prisoner to escape, they should pay the price. You’ve always said that failure has consequences in this organization.”
I felt sick. “You want me to execute the guards.”
“I want you to enforce your own rules,” Sophia countered. “You punish anyone else who fails you. Why should they be different?”
“Because I’m not convinced they’re the ones who failed,” I said coldly.
Sophia’s face flushed. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“I’m saying I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I said. “You’ve lost my trust, Sophia. And until you earn it back, every word out of your mouth is suspect.”