Chapter 10 - The Truth About the Wrecked Maserati
“Nobody sent me!” Minna snapped, fear completely evaporating and giving way to a hot, righteous flash of pure anger. She jammed a finger against her own chest. “I’m a waitress! I sleep in the backseat of a rusted 1998 Honda Civic, which, by the way, is exceptionally comfortable during a Chicago winter! I don’t know who Silvio is, I don’t care about your mafia wars, and I pulled you out because you were drowning, you absolute idiot!” Dante blinked, the sheer audacity of her insult catching him entirely off guard. A flicker of genuine surprise crossed his stern features, instantly replacing the dark paranoia that had defined his demeanor moments earlier. “You sleep in your car?” he repeated, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.
“Yes,” Minna fired back, uncrossing her arms and gesturing wildly around the palatial penthouse. “A silver Civic with a dented passenger door and a heater that only works when it feels like it. Can I leave now? Lou is going to fire me, and if I lose my job, I can't even afford instant ramen.” Dante studied her intensely—taking in her physical exhaustion, the defiant spark burning in her eyes, the dark bruise blooming on her shoulder that she had sustained while saving his life, and the utter lack of pretense in her demeanor. Without a word, he turned on his heel, walked over to a heavy mahogany desk sitting beneath a massive abstract painting, and picked up a thick manila folder stamped with a confidential logo. He flipped open the cover, revealing glossy crime scene photographs and technical diagrams. “My mechanics spent the night recovering what was left of the Maserati from the river,” he said, his tone turning serious and analytical. He tapped a photograph showing the torn undercarriage. “Brake lines cleanly severed with a hydraulic cutter. Steering column deliberately tampered with.” He looked back up at her. “It wasn't an accident. It was a professional, premeditated assassination attempt.” Minna went completely still, the color draining rapidly from her face as the grim reality of the situation settled over her.
