Chapter 6
I arrived at noon exactly, my heart hammering but my expression calm. Dmitri Volkov sat alone at a table in the back. He was younger than I expected, maybe 40, with the same cold eyes as the men who had attacked my bakery months ago.
But where they had been thugs, he radiated intelligence and calculated cruelty. Mrs. Catalano. He stood as I approached, a mockery of politeness. Thank you for coming. You didn’t give me much choice.
I sat across from him, keeping my hands visible on the table to show I wasn’t armed. What do you want? Direct. I appreciate that. He leaned back, studying me.
Sergey made a mistake with your husband. He got sentimental, saw honor where there was only weakness. I don’t make those mistakes. Then why am I here?
Because I’ve done my research on you, Alessia Amato, the baker who married the mob boss, the innocent who walked into Catalano’s world and somehow survived it. His smile was razor sharp. Except you’re not innocent anymore, are you? You’ve learned to play the game, built your own insurance policy with the police. My blood ran cold. He knew about Donovan. How? I have people everywhere, including inside the police department. He leaned forward. Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to convince your husband to give me what I want: the docks, the construction contracts, the import operations, everything Sergey asked for.
In exchange, I let you both live. And if I refuse? Then I kill everyone you care about, starting with that sweet assistant of yours, Rosa, then your neighbors, your suppliers, every customer who walks into your bakery.
I’ll burn your world down piece by piece until there’s nothing left but ashes and grief, and then when you’re completely broken,
I’ll kill you, too. Slowly. The threat was delivered with such casual certainty that I believed every word. This wasn’t a negotiation. It was an execution, just delayed. There’s a third option, I heard myself say. His eyebrow rose. Oh?
You let me finish my tea, I walk out of here, and tomorrow every connection you have, every politician, every judge, every dirty cop gets exposed, not just in Chicago. Everywhere your organization operates, New York, Moscow, everywhere. It all goes public. You’re bluffing. Am I? I pulled out my phone, opening it to show him a document.
This is a dead man’s switch. If I don’t reset it every 24 hours, everything I’ve compiled gets automatically sent to every major news organization in the country. And trust me, I’ve been thorough. Your organization won’t survive the exposure.
His expression didn’t change, but I saw a calculation in his eyes. Sergey was right about one thing. You are interesting. I’m practical. I put my phone away. You want war with Vincenzo? Fine. Fight him directly, but leave me out of it, because if I die, if anything happens to me, your entire empire comes down, too. That’s the deal.
And Catalano knows about this meeting? Not yet, I stood, proud that my legs didn’t shake, but he will. And he’ll understand that this is how I chose to protect both of us, by making myself too dangerous to kill.
Dmitri studied me for a long moment, then laughed. You really are extraordinary. Sergey saw it, and so do I. Very well, Mrs. Catalano. You have your deal. I won’t touch you or your people. But the war with your husband continues.
Fair enough. I turned to leave, then paused. One more thing. If you ever threaten me again, I won’t wait 24 hours.
I’ll burn everything down immediately, including my own husband’s operations. I’ve already accepted that cost. Have you? His silence was answer enough. I walked out of Rossi’s with my head high, made it three blocks before the adrenaline wore off and I had to lean against a building, shaking so hard I could barely stand.
I just gambled everything on a bluff I prayed I’d never have to follow through on. My phone rang. Vincenzo.
Where are you? His voice was tight with barely controlled fury. Marco said you went to the bakery, but you’re not there. I’m on Taylor Street. Can you pick me up? Silence, then: Stay where you are. I’m coming. He arrived 10 minutes later, pulling up in his Bentley with an expression that would have terrified me six months ago.
Now I simply opened the door and slid in beside him. I met with Dmitri, I said before he could speak. He threatened me, threatened everyone I care about, so I threatened him back with everything I have on his organization.
He’s agreed to leave me alone. Vincenzo’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. You did what? What I had to do, what you taught me to do. I used the only weapon I have. You could have been killed, Alessia. He could have. But he didn’t. I took his hand, forcing him to look at me. Because I made myself more valuable alive than dead. Because I’m not just your wife anymore, Vincenzo. I’m a player in this game, too. Maybe it’s time you accepted that. He stared at me, emotions warring across his face: fury, fear, pride, love. You’re going to give me a heart attack.
Better than making you a widower. I managed a shaky smile. Take me home. We both need to process what just happened. As he drove, I leaned my head against the window and realized something profound.
I had walked into Vincenzo’s world as an innocent, someone who needed protection and guidance.
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But I had become something else entirely, a partner who could stand beside him, who could make her own plays and face her own dangers. I had become exactly what this life required, someone brave enough to love a dangerous man and strong enough to be dangerous herself. And somehow, against all odds, that was exactly who I had always been meant to be.
Disclaimer: This story is fictional and created for entertainment purposes only. Any names, characters, places, or events are fictitious or used fictitiously. No real person or organization is intended to be portrayed.
