Chapter 7 - The Final Gambit
The bleeding finally stopped after twenty agonizing minutes of applied pressure.
I used a medical stapler from Victor's emergency kit to close the deep flesh wound on his shoulder.
He didn't make a single sound during the painful procedure, simply watching me with those intense, analyzing gray eyes.
"We cannot stay here," Victor announced, slowly standing up and testing the mobility of his injured arm.
"If Dante knows about the Glass House, he knows about all my primary safe zones."
I washed my bloody hands in the sink, looking at my pale, terrified reflection in the mirror.
"Then what do we do?" I asked, feeling completely helpless.
"We stop running," Victor stated coldly, his voice hardening into the ruthless tone of a mafia king.
"Dante thinks he is hunting a scared civilian and an old, injured boss."
He walked over to the bathtub, looking down at Lily, who was happily chewing on the edge of her blanket.
"We are going to give my arrogant uncle exactly what he wants," Victor continued.
"We are going to set a trap, and we are going to use ourselves as the bait."
I spun around, my eyes wide with absolute horror.
"Are you insane?" I yelled, keeping my voice as low as possible to avoid waking the baby.
"I am not putting my daughter anywhere near that monster!"
"Lily will not be anywhere near the crossfire," Victor promised, stepping closer to me.
"I have a trusted contact, a retired priest who runs a hidden orphanage in Staten Island."
"We will leave Lily with him for exactly three hours, completely off the grid."
"And while she is safe, you and I are going to meet Dante Falcone face-to-face."
I shook my head violently, terrified of facing the man who had caused all this death and destruction.
"I am not a killer, Victor, I am just a cleaner!" I cried out.
Victor grabbed my shoulders gently, forcing me to look directly into his eyes.
"You are the rightful heir to the Falcone empire, Hannah," he said with absolute conviction.
"Dante will only come out of hiding if he believes he can execute you and end the bloodline forever."
"If we do not kill him tonight, you will spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder."
I thought about the freezing apartment, the broken radiator, and the constant, suffocating fear of the last few hours.
I thought about my beautiful daughter growing up constantly hunted by violent men in the shadows.
A deep, unfamiliar anger suddenly sparked inside my chest, burning hotter than any fear I had ever felt.
"Okay," I whispered, my voice completely steady for the first time all night.
"Tell me exactly what I need to do."
Victor smiled, a dark, dangerous, and incredibly proud expression crossing his face.
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"First, we make a phone call," he said, handing me a secure burner phone.
"You are going to call your uncle Dante, and you are going to demand a parley."
