Chapter 14 - Ashes of the Empire
Dante didn't hesitate. He dived into the back of the armored vehicle, pulling Bruno in right behind him just as a second rifle round punched cleanly through the bulletproof door panel with a heavy thud.
The driver slammed the accelerator to the floor, the heavy vehicle surging forward with brute force, breaking through the police perimeter and rocketing down the avenue before the sniper could cycle another round.
Inside the cabin, Clara sat in the front passenger seat, turning back with wide, anxious eyes. “Are you hit? Mr. Marchesi, are you okay?”
Dante pressed a hand against his bleeding shoulder, wincing as the rough motion aggravated his stitches, but a grim, satisfied smile touched his lips. “I’m still breathing, Clara. Which is more than I can say for whoever pulled that trigger.”
He looked out the reinforced rear window as the hospital receded into the distance, swallowed by the towering glass canyons of the financial district. The empire he had built wasn't destroyed; it had been cauterized. Every traitor, every opportunist, and every hidden enemy had now exposed themselves in the light of day.
“Where to, boss?” the driver asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly as they wove through the morning traffic toward the industrial waterfront.
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Dante leaned back against the leather seat, closing his eyes for a brief moment as the exhaustion finally threatened to pull him under. But his mind remained razor-sharp, calculating the next move on the board.
“To the docks,” Dante said, his voice cold and absolute. “It’s time to rebuild the house.”
