Chapter 6 - The Gathering of Vultures
The grand ballroom of the Grand Regency Hotel in Manhattan was bathed in chandelier light, filled with the elite of the criminal underworld. Men in thousand-dollar suits sipped vintage champagne, whispering among themselves about the sudden, tragic demise of Lorenzo Rossi.
At the center of the room stood Mateo Rossi. Sixty-five years old, with sharp features and cold, calculating gray eyes, he wore a tailored black tuxedo, accepting condolences that were secretly congratulations.
"A tragedy," Mateo said to a boss from the Genovese family, holding a glass of scotch. "My nephew was a strong man, but losing his wife broke his spirit. And the poor child... it was a mercy that God took him before he suffered further."
"To the future of the Rossi family," the Genovese boss raised his glass. "May you lead them with a firm hand, Mateo."
"To the future," Mateo smiled, bringing the glass to his lips.
CLINK.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the ballroom slammed open with a sound like thunder.
The chatter in the room died instantly. Security guards reached for their holstered weapons, but stopped dead in their tracks.
Walking into the ballroom, dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, completely uninjured, was Lorenzo Rossi.
Beside me walked Marco Vane, flanked by twenty of my most loyal soldiers, all armed to the teeth.
Gasps echoed through the ballroom. Men backed away, knocking over chairs and spilling drinks. Mateo froze, his glass hovering inches from his lips, his face draining of all color until he looked like a ghost.
"Lorenzo..." Mateo stammered, his voice trembling. "You're... you're dead."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Uncle," I said smoothly, my boots clicking against the polished marble floor as I walked down the center aisle. "Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated."
"This is impossible!" Mateo shouted, backing away toward the stage. "The house burned to the ground! Security confirmed—"
"Security confirmed what you paid them to say," I interrupted, reaching into my jacket. Several guards flinched, but I merely pulled out a remote control and pressed a button.
The massive projection screens behind the main stage flickered to life.
Instead of family crests, the screens began playing high-definition security recordings from Dr. Halloran's private lab, followed by bank transfer documents showing millions moving from Mateo's personal accounts to Halloran and the mercenaries who set fire to my estate.
Audio recordings played through the ballroom speakers: Mateo's voice, clear and cold: "Make sure the baby doesn't survive the week. Lorenzo will lose his mind, and the territory will fall into our lap."
The room erupted into shouts of outrage. Even in the underworld, killing an innocent infant was an unpardonable sin—a breach of the absolute highest code.
"He poisoned my son," I announced to the room, my voice carrying the weight of a death sentence. "He bought my doctors. He set fire to my home."
Mateo looked around frantically, but the other family bosses moved away from him, leaving him standing completely alone in the center of the stage.
"Lorenzo, wait!" Mateo pleaded, sweat pouring down his face, dropping his glass to the floor where it shattered. "It was business! The family was getting weak! You were distracted by the boy!"
"My son is the future of this family," I said, stepping up onto the stage, pulling my gun from its holster with deliberate slowness. "And you are the past."
"Mercy, Lorenzo! I am your blood!" Mateo screamed, dropping to his knees.
"My blood saved my son," I whispered, thinking of Hunter’s face, her warmth, and her bravery. "You are just a parasite."
BANG.
The gunshot echoed through the grand ballroom. Mateo fell silent.
I turned back to face the stunned bosses of the Five Families, lowering my weapon.
"The Rossi family is under my absolute command," I said, my voice cold and firm. "Anyone who wishes to challenge that stance can step forward now."
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Silence filled the room. Every boss, every soldier, every lieutenant bowed their heads in absolute submission.
"Good," I said, turning on my heel. "Clean up this mess, Marco. I have a family to get back to."
