Chapter 9 - THE LAST ROMANO
The old Romano estate sat outside Queens behind twenty-foot iron gates.
My father had bought it when I was twelve.
I hadn't returned in fifteen years.
Too many memories lived there.
Too many ghosts.
Tonight, every light was on.
I arrived with Isabelle.
No men.
No visible weapons.
Exactly as instructed.
But I wasn't stupid enough to come unprepared.
Marco had placed men two miles away.
Salvatore had brought his own people.
Grace was in an ambulance.
And my daughters were with trusted security.
Except Nora.
Nora was still inside.
I walked through the front doors.
The house smelled exactly as I remembered.
Old wood.
Dust.
My father's tobacco.
A voice came from the darkness.
“Dominic.”
I stopped.
A man stepped into the light.
I stared at him.
He looked like my father.
Not similar.
Identical.
Older, of course.
But the same eyes.
The same jaw.
The same scar above the eyebrow.
My father's brother.
Anthony Romano.
“You're dead.”
He smiled.
“That's what I wanted everyone to believe.”
Isabelle stepped forward.
“Anthony.”
He looked at her.
“You ruined everything.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You did.”
Anthony laughed.
“You think I wanted money?”
“Then what?”
“Power.”
He looked at me.
“Your father gave you everything.”
“He gave me nothing.”
“He gave you an empire.”
“I built it.”
Anthony smiled.
“You built what I handed you.”
He pointed toward the walls.
“Every business.”
“Every account.”
“Every man.”
“All of it was already yours before you knew what it was.”
I stared.
Then Nora cried out.
“Daddy!”
I turned.
She was standing at the top of the stairs.
Anthony held her hand.
I almost ran.
“Let her go.”
“She isn't the one I wanted.”
“Then why take her?”
“Because she is the one who remembers.”
I stopped.
“What does she remember?”
Anthony crouched beside her.
“The night your mother died.”
My blood froze.
“My mother?”
Anthony nodded.
“Your mother discovered what your father was doing.”
I stared.
“She tried to leave.”
Anthony's voice became quiet.
“Your father stopped her.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You killed her?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Your father did.”
The room blurred.
My father had always been my hero.
The man who taught me strength.
The man whose death had driven me deeper into the organization.
Now Anthony was telling me that everything I believed was a lie.
Nora whispered:
“Grandpa hurt Grandma.”
I looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Mommy showed me.”
Isabelle stepped forward.
Anthony raised his gun.
“Stay there.”
She stopped.
“Why did Isabelle show her?”
Anthony looked at me.
“Because your wife wanted you to understand what kind of family you belonged to.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Anthony smiled.
“You don't believe me.”
He pressed a button.
A projector came alive.
Old footage appeared.
My father.
Young.
Standing in this exact room.
Beside him was Victor.
Beside Victor was Anthony.
Then my mother walked into frame.
She was crying.
She said:
“You promised me you would stop.”
My father answered:
“I can't.”
The footage continued.
My mother turned toward Anthony.
“Help me.”
Anthony looked at her.
Then looked at my father.
He did nothing.
My mother's eyes broke.
Then the footage ended.
I stared at the screen.
Anthony whispered:
“Your father built the machine.”
“Victor maintained it.”
“I inherited it.”
“And you?”
“You were supposed to become its king.”
I looked at Isabelle.
She was crying.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I wanted you to have one life that wasn't built on blood.”
I looked at Nora.
“Where are the others?”
Anthony smiled.
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“For you to choose.”
“Choose what?”
He raised his gun.
“Your empire.”
Then he looked at Isabelle.
“Or your family.”
I stared at him.
“You think I'll choose the empire?”
“No.”
He smiled.
“I think you'll choose your family.”
He pressed another button.
The doors behind me locked.
Gas began pouring through the vents.
Isabelle grabbed my hand.
Anthony walked away.
“You have five minutes.”
I looked at my wife.
Then at Nora.
Then at the ceiling.
Five minutes.
No weapons.
Locked doors.
Gas.
And my daughters somewhere inside the house.
I smiled.
Anthony stopped.
He looked back.
“What are you smiling about?”
I reached into my pocket.
Pulled out my phone.
And pressed one button.
“Because you forgot something.”
The walls shook.
Every window shattered at once.
My men stormed the estate.
Anthony's smile disappeared.
May you like
I looked at him.
“You forgot who I became.”
