Chapter 8 - THE DEBT COLLECTOR
The voice from the balcony was calm, bored, and chilling.
I pulled Leo tighter against my chest, covering his ears.
He buried his face into my coat, shaking like a leaf.
Antonio stepped completely in front of us, shielding us with his body.
Matteo didn't lower his gun from Daniel, but he glanced up at the balcony.
“The Chicago Outfit,” Matteo said.
It wasn't a question.
A man stepped out of the shadows near the railing.
He wore a pristine gray suit.
He held a suppressed rifle with terrible casualness.
“Good evening, Matteo,” the man said. “Your father was a reasonable man. I hope you are too.”
“This isn't your territory, Rossi,” Matteo warned.
Rossi rested the rifle on the railing.
The red dot stayed locked on Daniel Mercer’s forehead.
Daniel was breathing heavily, his arrogance entirely gone.
He looked like a trapped rat.
“Daniel Mercer owes us four million dollars,” Rossi said. “He promised us he was going to marry his little protégé into your family and clear his debt using your brother’s trust fund.”
Rossi sighed.
“But Daniel takes too long. And he makes too many mistakes.”
“I can get it!” Daniel shouted up at the balcony. “I have the boy! The trust can be unlocked tomorrow!”
“We don't do business with children, Daniel,” Rossi said coldly.
He looked down at Matteo.
“DeLuca. Step away from the rat. Let us take the trash out.”
Matteo didn't move.
“He broke into my house. He threatened my family. He’s mine.”
“He’s our debtor,” Rossi countered. “If you protect him, you start a war tonight.”
“I’m not protecting him,” Matteo said.
He slowly lowered his gun.
Daniel’s eyes widened in panic.
“Matteo, wait, we can make a deal—”
“You brought a gun near my nephew,” Matteo said softly.
He stepped back.
He looked up at Rossi.
“He’s yours.”
Daniel screamed and raised his gun toward the balcony.
He never got the shot off.
A single, suppressed pop echoed through the massive station.
Daniel’s head snapped back.
He collapsed onto the marble floor.
Dead.
Grace dropped her gun.
She fell to her knees, clutching the pearl rosary, and began to sob hysterically.
Not for Daniel.
But for the relief of an eleven-year nightmare finally ending.
Up on the balcony, Rossi lowered his rifle.
He tipped his head respectfully toward Matteo.
“Give my regards to your grandmother, Matteo. The Outfit considers the Mercer debt settled.”
He turned and disappeared into the shadows.
For a long moment, the only sound in the station was Grace’s crying and the distant rumble of a departing train.
Matteo looked down at Daniel’s body.
Then he turned to his older brother.
Antonio was looking at me and Leo.
He slowly knelt down on the marble floor.
“Leo,” Antonio whispered.
Leo peeked out from my coat.
He looked at the man who had been a ghost for four years.
“Dad?” Leo’s small voice cracked.
Antonio’s face broke.
Tears spilled over his scarred cheeks.
“Yeah, buddy. It's me. It's Dad.”
Leo let go of me and launched himself into his father’s arms.
Antonio buried his face in his son’s neck, shaking with sobs.
I covered my mouth, crying silently.
Matteo walked over to me.
He didn't say anything.
He just pulled me into his side and wrapped his arm around me.
I leaned into him, letting the exhaustion and the fear wash away.
“It's over,” I whispered.
“Almost,” Matteo said.
His voice was hard again.
I looked up at him.
His eyes were fixed on Grace.
Grace was still on her knees, clutching the rosary.
She looked up at Matteo, expecting to be punished.
Expecting to be fired, or worse.
“Stand up, Grace,” Matteo said.
Grace slowly got to her feet.
“I will pack my things, Mr. DeLuca,” she whispered brokenly. “I’m sorry I lied. I’m sorry I brought her into your house.”
Matteo walked over to her.
He looked at the woman who had cared for his grandmother for eleven years.
The woman who had slept in hospital chairs.
Who had protected Rose from Sloane’s cruelty just hours earlier.
Matteo reached out and gently took Grace’s hands.
“You didn't betray my family, Grace.”
Grace blinked, confused.
“I let him in—”
“You protected your daughter,” Matteo said. “And tonight, you protected mine.”
He looked back at Leo, safely in Antonio’s arms.
“You are family, Grace. You go back to the house. You rest. Tomorrow, we fix this.”
Grace covered her face and wept.
Matteo turned back to his brother.
Antonio stood up, holding Leo.
The two DeLuca brothers looked at each other.
“You have a lot to explain, Tony,” Matteo said.
Antonio gave a tired smile.
“I know.”
Matteo nodded.
“Let's go home.”
We walked out of Union Station into the freezing rain.
The black SUVs were waiting.
But as we approached the cars, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out.
It was an unknown number.
I answered it.
“Hello?”
A woman’s voice whispered through the speaker.
May you like
Desperate. Frightened.
“Emily. It’s Sloane. You have to help me. They opened the wine cellar.”
