Chapter 6 - The Trap Springs
Leo froze. His eyes went wide with pure horror. He realized he had just walked directly into a masterfully crafted trap.
"I... I read her file in the agency records..." Leo stammered, backing away from the table, his hands trembling.
"There is no agency record of her brother, Leo," I said calmly, stepping closer to the table. "Thomas's connection to me was wiped from public records by federal witness protection protocols after he died. You only knew because you kept his murder file in your private desk drawer."
Leo panicked. He reached inside his suit jacket, pulling a compact black handgun from his holster!
"Get back!" Leo screamed, aiming the gun directly at Julian's head! "He's insane! He's going to kill us all!"
Before Leo could pull the trigger, Julian acted with terrifying speed.
Despite his paralyzed legs, Julian’s upper body strength was immense. He grabbed the heavy oak edge of the conference table, shoved it forward with explosive power, pinning Leo’s body against the glass wall!
CRACK!
The gun discharged into the ceiling, shattering a pane of glass!
Marco rushed into the conservatory, drawing his weapon and slamming Leo onto the marble floor, disarming him in two seconds flat.
The Capos scrambled out of their chairs, terrified. Victoria hid behind Uncle Dominic, her face pale as snow.
Julian slowly wheeled his chair around the pinned table, coming to a stop inches from where Leo lay pinned on the ground beneath Marco's boot.
"Who was funding you, Leo?" Julian asked quietly, looking down at his cousin without a shred of emotion. "You don't have the brains to manage offshore weapons deals alone."
Leo spat blood onto the floor, laughing maniacally. "You think you've won, Julian?! You're a cripple! You've been sitting in that chair while the real players took over Chicago!"
"Who?" Julian repeated, his voice dropping into a register that made the hair on my arms stand up.
"The Moretti family!" Leo gasped, his ribs crushed. "They paid me five million to clear the dock manifests! They promised me your seat once you were at the bottom of the lake!"
Julian looked up at Uncle Dominic and Victoria. "Did you know about this?"
Uncle Dominic stepped forward, shaking his head rapidly, looking genuinely terrified. "I swear to God on my mother's grave, Julian! I wanted you to step down, yes! But I would NEVER sell our family to the Morettis! Leo is a traitor!"
Victoria remained silent, staring at the floor, refusing to meet Julian's eyes.
Julian looked down at Leo for three long seconds.
"Take him to the basement," Julian ordered Marco coldly. "Make sure he tells you every name on Moretti's payroll before sunset."
As Marco dragged the screaming, sobbing Leo out of the conservatory, Julian turned his wheelchair toward me.
May you like
He reached out, grabbing my hand in front of all eleven remaining Capos.
"Clara," Julian said loudly, his voice echoing across the shattered room. "Starting today, you are promoted to Director of Internal Security for the Vescari estate. Anyone who disobeys her... disobeys me."
