Chapter 2 - The Anatomy of a Hit
The penthouse apartment atop the Conti Tower was less of a home and more of an impenetrable fortress wrapped in glass, dark leather, and brushed steel.
Floor-to-ceiling bulletproof windows looked out over the foggy expanse of Boston Harbor. The interior was lit by low, amber recessed lighting, and the air smelled faintly of expensive cigar smoke, cedar, and aged bourbon.
Penny sat on the edge of an enormous leather sofa in the living room, clutching a warm mug of chamomile tea that one of Matteo’s house stewards had brought her.
Across the room, Matteo stood at a massive marble kitchen island.
He had removed his ruined charcoal jacket and unbuttoned the collar of his white dress shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows. A private medical technician was applying a small butterfly bandage to the cut on his jawline.
Leo Mercer walked into the room, holding a encrypted tablet.
“Report, Leo,” Matteo ordered, stepping away from the technician with a nod of dismissal.
“The shooter got away through the kitchen exhaust corridor,” Leo reported, handing the tablet to his boss. “He had inside help. The perimeter cameras on the south alley were wiped five minutes before the shooting.”
“Inside help,” Matteo repeated, his voice cold and flat. “Who had access to the camera feeds?”
“Only three people,” Leo said, his eyes darting briefly toward Penny before returning to Matteo. “Including your cousin, Dominic.”
Matteo went completely still.
The room seemed to drop ten degrees in an instant. Even Penny, sitting twenty feet away, felt the sudden, suffocating pressure of his presence.
“Dominic,” Matteo murmured, staring down at the tablet screen. “He was supposed to be in New York securing the waterfront shipping contracts.”
“His car was spotted at Logan Airport two hours ago,” Leo added quietly. “Boss... if Dominic is making a play for the family leadership, he won't stop with one failed hit. He knows you’ll come for him.”
Penny cleared her throat loudly, breaking the heavy silence.
Both men turned to look at her.
“Excuse me,” Penny said, setting her tea mug down on the glass coffee table with a small clink. “Did I hear that correctly? The person who tried to shoot you—and almost put a bullet through my forehead—is your cousin?”
Matteo walked over to the sofa, sitting down in the leather armchair across from her.
“Dominic is my uncle’s son,” Matteo explained calmly. “He believes the Conti empire should be run like it was in the nineties—violence, extortion, and chaos. He resents the fact that I shifted our operations into legitimate logistics, real estate, and international shipping.”
“So this is a family dispute?” Penny asked, her voice rising in disbelief. “A family feud?! I was almost murdered because your cousin has daddy issues and wants control of a shipping company?!”
Leo let out a quiet, muffled cough, quickly turning his head away to hide a smirk.
Matteo, however, didn't smile. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, staring intently at Penny.
“The bullet wasn't meant for you, Penny,” Matteo said softly. “It was meant for me. But because you threw a tray of glasses and yelled at me, you changed the angle of my stance. If you hadn't jabbed your finger into my chest when you did... the first shot would have hit me in the spine.”
Penny froze.
She looked at him, her brain frantically rewinding the events at the Velvet Room.
The man in the gray jacket... the gun pulling out from under his coat... the sudden, violent movement as Matteo threw her over his shoulder...
“I... I saved your life?” Penny whispered, stunned.
“You distracted me, which saved your life,” Matteo corrected gently. “And your anger shifted my position, which saved mine. Which means, whether you like it or not, Penny Higgins... we are tied together tonight.”
Penny slumped back against the soft leather cushions, rubbing her temples.
“Happy birthday to me,” she groaned into her hands.
Matteo stood up. He walked over to a desk in the corner, unlocked a small drawer, and pulled out a leather checkbook. He wrote a quick, fluent signature, tore the check from the book, and walked back over to her table.
He set the paper down beside her tea mug.
Penny looked down at it.
It was a cashier’s check made out to the St. Jude Assisted Living Facility in the amount of fifty thousand dollars.
Penny’s breath caught in her throat. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock.
“What is this?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Your mother’s care for the next five years,” Matteo said flatly. “Consider it compensation for your ruined dress, your broken glasses, and your interrupted birthday.”
Penny stared at the check, then looked up into the eyes of the most feared crime boss in Boston.
She picked up the check, folded it neatly in half, and pushed it back across the table toward him.
Matteo’s dark eyebrows pulled together. “You’re refusing it?”
“I don't take bribe money from mobsters, Mr. Conti,” Penny said, her voice steady and proud despite her empty bank account. “My mother raised me to pay my own debts. And I don't sell my safety for a check.”
Leo looked at Penny as if she had suddenly grown a second head.
May you like
Matteo, however, didn't look angry. He slowly picked up the folded check, looking at her with an intensity that made Penny’s breath hitch in her chest.
“You really are something else, Penny Higgins,” Matteo murmured, a genuine, breathtaking smile finally breaking across his dark features. “Very well. No check. But you’re still staying in my guest room tonight.”
