Chapter 8 - ENZO TURNED THE WHOLE FAMILY AGAINST DAMIAN BEFORE THE MEETING EVEN BEGAN
By morning, rumors spread through Boston.
Damian Falcone had lost control.
Someone had breached his mansion.
His security chief was compromised.
A maid had somehow been inside his private bathroom during an assassination attempt.
The last detail became everyone’s favorite.
Martha stared at an online headline on Lucia’s phone.
“MAFIA KING’S MYSTERY WOMAN?”
Damian walked past.
“I’ve had worse.”
“You sound proud.”
“I’m realistic.”
Lucia took the phone away.
“This leak came from inside.”
Victor nodded.
“Only eleven people knew she was in the bathroom.”
Martha looked at him.
“Comforting.”
“One is you.”
“Thank you.”
Victor continued.
“Four are guards.”
“Lucia.”
“Damian.”
“Me.”
“Vale.”
“And three medical staff.”
Lucia asked,
“Enzo?”
“We never told him.”
Martha looked at Damian.
“But he knew about the shooting.”
“Yes.”
“Which means whoever told him may also be feeding the press.”
Victor nodded.
They had little time.
Rachel obtained emergency preservation orders for several accounts but not broad enough search warrants to seize Enzo’s offices before the council.
Andrew’s ledger was strong.
Not yet enough.
Damian decided to attend.
Rachel hated it.
“This is not a movie.”
Damian answered,
“I’m aware.”
“You do not walk into a criminal council to provoke a confession.”
“I’m not.”
“What are you doing?”
“Watching.”
Martha interrupted.
“And keeping him from deleting evidence.”
Rachel looked at her.
“You’re not going.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
Damian and Rachel spoke together.
Martha stared at both.
“Excellent.”
Damian turned toward her.
“You stay with Lucia.”
“No.”
“Martha.”
“If Enzo sees me, he knows Andrew’s sister survived the first attack.”
“That is exactly why you stay away.”
“Or he reacts.”
Rachel immediately said,
“We are not using civilians as bait.”
“Thank you.”
Damian looked irritated.
Martha folded her arms.
“I wasn’t suggesting bait.”
“You were suggesting bait using yourself.”
“Different.”
“No.”
Martha glared.
“Stop deciding for me.”
That landed.
Damian became silent.
She continued.
“You can say you don’t want me there.”
“You can explain risk.”
“You do not get to turn orders into consent because your last name is Falcone.”
Victor looked at the floor.
Lucia almost smiled.
Damian stared at Martha.
Then:
“I don’t want you there because I think Enzo may kill you.”
“Good.”
She nodded.
“That is an argument.”
“And?”
“I’m still going.”
Damian exhaled.
“You are impossible.”
“You kept me employed for nine days after discovering I lied.”
“That was apparently my first mistake.”
“Not even close.”
Rachel interrupted.
“If she attends, she stays in a public-facing area under federal observation.”
Damian frowned.
“You have people there?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You just did.”
Rachel ignored him.
“Lucia, you attend as foundation counsel.”
“Yes.”
“Victor?”
Damian answered.
“He’s too obvious.”
Victor nodded.
“I remain outside.”
Rachel turned toward Damian.
“You ask questions.”
“You do not threaten.”
“You do not assault anyone.”
“You do not draw a weapon.”
Damian raised an eyebrow.
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“If Enzo gives you enough evidence, let us arrest him instead of proving every stereotype about your family.”
Martha looked at Damian.
“She likes you.”
Damian almost smiled.
The council met at the Falcone Social Club in the North End.
Old brick.
Private dining room.
Family photographs lining the hallway.
Martha entered as part of Lucia’s legal staff.
No maid uniform.
Black trousers.
White blouse.
Hair pulled back.
Damian noticed.
“You look different.”
“Because I’m not carrying your towels.”
“I meant—”
“I know.”
He stopped.
Martha looked at him.
“Nervous?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Rachel said that?”
“No.”
“Leah?”
“Who?”
Martha blinked.
“No one.”
Damian gave her a strange look.
“Forget it.”
They entered.
Enzo Falcone stood at the head of the long table.
Sixty-three.
Silver hair.
Expensive suit.
Warm smile.
He looked less like a criminal than a retired university dean.
That disturbed Martha.
He embraced Damian.
“You look well.”
“I am.”
“I heard otherwise.”
“People talk.”
Enzo looked toward Martha.
Recognition flashed.
Brief.
Too brief.
“Who is this?”
Lucia answered.
“My records consultant.”
Enzo smiled.
“Have we met?”
Martha held his gaze.
“No.”
His eyes lingered.
He knew.
She felt it.
The meeting began.
Enzo spoke gently.
Nobody accused Damian directly.
That was the clever part.
He talked about stability.
Responsibility.
Legacy.
“Matteo built this family on trust.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
Enzo continued.
“Recent events suggest outside pressures are creating risk.”
One older director asked,
“What events?”
“A sniper inside the estate perimeter.”
Martha noticed the wording.
Inside the perimeter.
The shooter had been across the courtyard, technically outside Damian’s building but within estate grounds?
Only security investigators knew exact geometry.
Damian spoke.
“Who told you where the shooter was?”
Enzo stopped.
“What?”
“You said inside the estate perimeter.”
“I assumed.”
“Why?”
“Where else?”
Damian leaned back.
“Boston.”
Several men shifted.
Enzo smiled.
“You’re tired.”
“No.”
“You sound suspicious.”
“I am.”
Enzo looked around.
“See?”
“Damian is under strain.”
Damian said,
“North Crest Holdings.”
Silence.
Martha watched Enzo.
The man did not flinch.
“That old company again?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Crest Security’s car was near the shooter.”
A few people murmured.
Enzo sighed.
“Crest provides services across the city.”
“So you do remember owning them.”
“I don’t.”
“You approved them as a vendor.”
“Years ago.”
Damian nodded.
“And Doctor Vale?”
Enzo’s face changed slightly.
“Is he well?”
Martha felt cold.
No one had publicly said Vale was hurt.
Damian caught it too.
“I didn’t say anything happened to him.”
Enzo paused.
Then smiled.
“You asked his name in the middle of an assassination discussion.”
“Reasonable inference.”
It was.
Not proof.
But another crack.
Lucia spoke.
“Did you authorize any payments from North Crest to Crest Security this week?”
Enzo looked at her.
“No.”
“Do you control North Crest?”
“No.”
“Do you have signing authority?”
“No.”
Lucia removed one corporate record.
“Your attorney filed an amendment fourteen years ago naming you beneficial administrator.”
The room shifted.
Enzo stared at the paper.
“That document is outdated.”
“So you did have authority.”
“Had.”
Damian looked around.
“Interesting.”
Enzo’s smile vanished.
“You brought us here to accuse me?”
“You called the meeting.”
A man near Enzo spoke.
“This is becoming a circus.”
Damian nodded.
“Then let’s simplify.”
He looked at Enzo.
“Did you know Andrew Bellini?”
For the first time, genuine reaction.
Tiny.
But there.
Martha saw it.
Enzo answered,
“No.”
Martha’s pulse jumped.
Vale had seen them together.
Now Enzo had lied directly.
Damian did not expose Vale.
Not yet.
“Never met him?”
“No.”
“Never spoke to him?”
“No.”
Martha watched Lucia discreetly touch her phone.
Signal to Rachel’s team.
A lie about contact was not murder.
But it established concealment.
Then Enzo looked toward Martha.
Longer this time.
“Why does your consultant look familiar?”
Martha answered herself.
“Maybe you saw me at your warehouse.”
Damian turned slightly.
Lucia froze.
That was not planned.
Enzo’s face changed.
“Excuse me?”
“North Crest.”
Martha held his gaze.
“My brother was there the night he died.”
The room exploded into murmurs.
Damian whispered,
“Martha.”
She ignored him.
Enzo stared.
“Bellini.”
“Yes.”
Now he recognized her openly.
“You’re Andrew’s sister.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re working for Damian.”
“I worked in his house.”
Enzo smiled slowly.
“There it is.”
He turned toward the room.
“The maid.”
Martha’s stomach tightened.
Enzo continued.
“The mysterious woman in Damian’s bathroom.”
Several men looked at Damian.
Enzo had the scandal ready.
“She enters his private room.”
“Seconds later, a shot.”
“Now she appears here with accusations about her dead brother.”
Enzo looked almost sympathetic.
“Damian, you are being manipulated.”
Martha expected Damian to defend himself.
Instead:
“Possibly.”
The room quieted.
Enzo frowned.
Damian continued.
“That is why I brought evidence to federal prosecutors yesterday.”
Silence.
Absolute.
Enzo’s face drained.
Martha stared at Damian.
He had not planned to reveal it this early.
Damian looked around.
“Every record connected to North Crest is now outside this family.”
Several men stood.
Enzo snapped,
“You did what?”
There.
The first loss of control.
Damian remained seated.
“I followed Andrew’s advice.”
Enzo’s eyes became cold.
“You brought federal investigators into family business?”
“Yes.”
“You stupid—”
He stopped.
Too late.
Damian said quietly,
“Family problems stay inside the family?”
Enzo stared.
Andrew’s exact warning.
Then lights went out.
The room plunged into darkness.
Someone shouted.
Glass broke.
Martha heard a chair fall.
Then Lucia screamed:
“Damian!”
A gunshot cracked somewhere near the hallway.
Not inside the dining room.
Outside.
Emergency lights flashed red.
Martha turned.
Damian was still at the table.
Alive.
Enzo’s chair was empty.
And the rear service door stood open.
The family council had not been the execution site.
It had been the distraction.
May you like
Somewhere in the building, Enzo Falcone was running.
And the people waiting outside had just lost patience.
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