Page 83 of Luca
Chapter 32: Luca
After dropping Gabriella off, I tell Paolo to drive to a warehouse in the industrial district, one of several properties my family owns that don't appear on any official records.
"Boss?" he asks, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.
"Dante Mancini needs to disappear tonight."
"I can have the boys handle it. Clean, professional. Make it look like a business dispute gone wrong."
"No. This one's personal. Have your guys pick him up discreetly after he leaves the dinner party and bring him to the warehouse. Then make sure we're not disturbed."
Paolo's eyebrows raise slightly, but he doesn't question the decision. "What do you need from me?" he asks.
"The usual setup. And bring the bag of tools."
The warehouse is empty when we arrive, just concrete floors and shadows cast by a few overhead lights. Perfect for what I need to do. Paolo's men are efficient. Before midnight, they've delivered Dante to me, unconscious and still breathing.
He doesn’t stir until I zip-tie him to a metal chair in the center of the space before dismissing Paolo and his team.
I must handle this all alone.
When Dante comes to, his eyes dart around the warehouse before settling on me. He doesn't look surprised.
"Luca." His voice is hoarse. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
"Were you?"
"A man like you doesn't let threats go unanswered. Especially threats against his wife." He tests the restraints binding his wrists, but they don't give. "Though I have to say, I didn't expect you to handle this personally. It’s not your style. You usually keep your hands clean."
"You made it personal when you threatened my wife in public."
"Threaten her? I thought we were having a civilized conversation about interesting discoveries. Simply one of our many business negotiations. It’s not personal."
I move closer, and he finally shows the first sign of real nervousness. His breathing quickens as I pull on leather gloves, taking my time with each finger.
"What exactly do you think you discovered, Dante?"
"Enough to know that your wife isn't who she claims to be. Enough to know that the Romano family has been deceived in a very fundamental way." His confidence wavers as I open the duffel bag Paolo left for me. "The question remains. What's that information worth to you? I would imagine a great deal since it seems you’ve grown fond of the girl."
"Nothing."
He tries to laugh. "I find that hard to believe."
"Because you don't understand what you're dealing with." I pull out a knife, not a quick, clean blade, but something designed for maximum damage. "You believe you have leverage. You think you can threaten my wife and walk away with money in your pocket for your silence."
"Can't I?"
"No. Because you made one crucial mistake."
"What's that?"
"You assumed I'd be ashamed of what you found. You assumed I'd want to hide it from my family, pay you to keep quiet about whatever secrets you think you've uncovered."
Dante's face goes pale as I test the blade's edge against my thumb, drawing a thin line of blood.
"But here's what you don't understand about me. I don't give a fuck what my wife did before she married me. I don't care what name she was born with or what life she lived before she became mine. The only thing I care about is that she's under my protection now. She is my wife and there is nothing I won’t do to protect her."
"Luca, we can work something out—"
