Chapter 8 - THE DIAMOND CLUB ATTACK
-8
The name Diamond Club hung in the air like a death knell. Tessa’s breath caught in her throat. That was the underground casino where Liam had accumulated his staggering debt—the crown jewel of the Romano syndicate’s downtown entertainment and laundering operations.
Victor’s body went completely rigid. The relaxed, almost warm demeanor he had projected a second ago vanished, replaced instantly by the cold, calculated fury of a mob boss whose territory had been violated.
“Hit by whom?” Victor demanded, his voice dropping an octave into a lethal register.
“The Bratva,” Paulie breathed out, wiping sweat from his forehead with a thick forearm. “Ivan Petrov’s crew. They stormed the VIP floor twenty minutes ago with automatic weapons. They torched the cash room, shot up the tables, and left a message painted in red on the roulette wheel.”
“What message?” Victor snarled, striding past Paulie toward the armory cabinet behind his desk.
“They said... they said the Romano monopoly on the downtown corridor is over. And they’re coming for the West Wing next.”
Victor pulled a heavy black SIG Sauer pistol from the armory shelf, checking the magazine with practiced, lightning-fast speed before sliding it into his shoulder holster. He didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. He turned back toward Paulie, his eyes blazing with cold fire.
“Get the tactical teams ready. Load the vans. I want every single Bratva safehouse in the tri-state area mapped, targeted, and surrounded within the hour,” Victor ordered.
“Boss, your shoulder—!” Paulie protested.
“My shoulder is fine,” Victor snapped, walking toward the heavy doors. He stopped, glancing back over his shoulder at Tessa, who stood frozen by the desk, her face drained of all color.
“Tessa,” Victor said sharply.
She snapped to attention. “Sir?”
“Stay in the West Wing. Lock the doors behind me. Do not open them for anyone except me or Paulie. If anyone else tries to breach this door, you use the panic room code I programmed into the security panel this morning. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mr. Romano,” she choked out, sheer terror gripping her chest. “Be careful.”
Victor stared at her for one long, intense second. Then, without another word, he spun around and strode out of the study, his enforcers trailing closely behind him like shadows of death.
May you like
The heavy doors clicked shut, locking automatically from the outside.
Tessa stood alone in the massive, silent library. The fire crackled softly in the stone hearth, casting dancing orange light across the expensive leather-bound books. But the warmth of the room felt hollow now, replaced by the chilling certainty that a war had just been declared—and the Romano estate was right in the crosshairs.
