Chapter 13 - The Syndicate's Shadow
The flames at the northern docks burned so bright they painted the midnight sky a violent shade of orange.
Clara watched the live security feed from the estate’s underground command center, her face illuminated by the glow of the monitors.
Arthur stood beside her, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched his men execute her orders flawlessly.
The Bratva’s weapons cache was completely destroyed, severing their primary supply line into the city.
But Clara felt no sense of victory as she watched the containers collapse into molten steel.
“Viktor Volkov is not a street thug like Falcone,” Arthur noted, reading her anxious posture.
“He is a former KGB operative who runs his syndicate like a military dictatorship.”
Clara tapped her manicured fingernail against the metal console.
“Which means he will not retaliate with a chaotic drive-by shooting.”
“He will strike surgically, and he will aim for the head of the snake.”
Suddenly, the encrypted phone in Arthur’s pocket vibrated with an urgent, high-priority alert.
He pulled it out, his dark eyes scanning the brief text message from his intelligence broker.
His jaw clenched so hard Clara could hear the grinding of his teeth.
“What is it?” she asked, stepping closer to him.
“Volkov didn't wait for the docks to burn to make his move,” Arthur growled, his voice vibrating with lethal intent.
“He just bought off the chief of police and the district attorney.”
Clara felt a cold drop of dread pool in her stomach.
The police had always looked the other way because Arthur paid them handsomely to do so.
If Volkov had outbid them, the Moretti family was completely exposed to the full force of the law.
“We have an annual charity gala tomorrow night at the grand museum,” Clara stated, her mind immediately pivoting to strategy.
“The mayor, the chief of police, and the DA will all be there.”
Arthur shook his head immediately, his protective instincts flaring up to form an impenetrable wall.
“Cancel it.”
“I am not putting you in a room full of politicians who are suddenly on the Russian payroll.”
Clara reached out and grabbed the lapels of his suit, forcing him to look down into her fierce eyes.
“If we hide in this estate, we show the entire city that Volkov has us terrified.”
“We go to the gala, we smile for the cameras, and we remind them exactly who owns this town.”
Arthur stared at her, caught between his desperate need to keep her safe and his awe of her fearless ambition.
May you like
“If anything happens to you, I will burn this entire state to the ground,” he promised softly.
“I know,” Clara smiled, smoothing his lapels.
