Chapter 9 - The Last War of the Falcone FamilyWe returned to New York with a plan.
Not Mateo’s plan.
His plan involved locking me in a secure house somewhere in Switzerland.
My plan involved the FBI.
Agent Reeves liked mine better.
Mateo did not.
“You’re enjoying this,” he told Reeves.
“A little.”
“I can have you transferred.”
“I’m federal.”
“I know people.”
Reeves smiled.
“I’m sure you do.”
Despite the tension, I laughed.
Mateo looked betrayed.
“You’re taking his side?”
“He’s less controlling.”
“He wants to use you as bait.”
“Yes, but politely.”
Mateo muttered something in Italian.
The exchange with Vincent would happen at Pier 19.
He wanted me.
We wanted Luca’s sister, Francesca.
The FBI wanted Vincent.
Mateo wanted everyone alive.
That last part surprised Reeves.
It did not surprise me anymore.
At 11:00 p.m., I walked onto the pier.
Alone.
At least visibly.
A microphone was sewn into my jacket.
Agents surrounded the area.
Mateo waited somewhere nearby.
Vincent appeared.
He looked nothing like the villains in movies.
He was handsome.
Young.
Well dressed.
Almost friendly.
“Elena Cruz.”
“Vincent Moretti.”
“You’ve caused quite a mess.”
“I get that a lot lately.”
He smiled.
“I see why Mateo likes you.”
“Where’s Francesca?”
“Safe.”
“I want to see her.”
“You’re not in a position to make demands.”
“Then why am I here?”
His smile faded.
“You have access to the ledger.”
“The FBI has the ledger.”
“But you have credibility.”
“What do you want?”
“A statement.”
He handed me papers.
I read them.
A sworn declaration claiming my father fabricated portions of the ledger.
“You want me to discredit him.”
“I want you to save yourself.”
“And Francesca?”
“She goes free.”
I looked up.
“No.”
Vincent sighed.
“I hoped you’d be practical.”
“I’m a nurse. We’re trained to be difficult.”
He laughed.
Then two men brought Francesca forward.
She was alive.
Bruised.
Terrified.
Luca’s sister looked at me.
“Don’t sign.”
Vincent struck her.
I flinched.
“Stop.”
“Sign.”
“No.”
His expression changed.
He drew a gun.
I heard Mateo’s voice in my earpiece.
“Elena, down.”
I dropped.
Gunfire erupted.
Federal agents moved.
Mateo came from behind a cargo container.
Vincent grabbed Francesca.
Gun against her head.
Everything stopped.
“Back off!”
Mateo lowered his weapon slightly.
“Vincent.”
“Tell them to back off.”
“You know I can’t.”
“You choose a nurse over family?”
Mateo looked at him.
“You stopped being family when you started hunting innocent people.”
Vincent laughed bitterly.
“Innocent? Her father destroyed us.”
“Her father exposed criminals.”
“We are criminals!”
The words echoed across the pier.
Mateo’s face became strangely calm.
“No.”
Vincent stared.
“What?”
“You are.”
Mateo lowered his gun completely.
“I’m done.”
For a second, nobody understood.
Vincent laughed.
“You think you can walk away?”
“I already have.”
“You’re Falcone.”
“My name isn’t a sentence.”
I felt tears sting my eyes.
Mateo continued.
“The companies are being transferred into legitimate holdings. The illegal operations are finished. The accounts are being disclosed.”
Vincent’s face went white.
“You wouldn’t.”
“I did.”
“You destroyed everything.”
“No.”
Mateo looked at me.
“I saved what was worth keeping.”
Vincent’s hand trembled.
That was all Francesca needed.
She drove her heel down on his foot.
Then ducked.
Agents fired.
Vincent fell.
Alive.
The bullet struck his shoulder.
Within seconds, he was surrounded.
Francesca ran toward Luca.
Brother and sister collapsed into each other.
Mateo came to me.
He checked my face.
My arms.
My shoulders.
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Then I kissed him.
Right there.
Agents.
Guns.
Pier lights.
Everything.
When we separated, Reeves cleared his throat.
“You two done?”
“No,” Mateo said.
I laughed.
For the first time since he entered my hallway, danger seemed to be moving away instead of toward us.
But consequences remained.
Mateo spent the next six months dismantling what his father had built.
He cooperated selectively with federal investigators.
He surrendered illegal assets.
Paid penalties.
Closed businesses.
Testified against corrupt officials.
Some men hated him.
Some disappeared.
Some accepted that the world had changed.
Luca entered witness protection with Francesca.
Before leaving, he came to see us.
“I don’t expect forgiveness,” he told me.
“I know.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
He looked at Mateo.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Mateo embraced him.
Briefly.
Like brothers who had survived something neither could repair.
After Luca left, Mateo stood silently.
“You okay?”
“No.”
I took his hand.
“That seems to be your favorite answer.”
“It’s usually accurate.”
I smiled.
Then he looked at me.
“I sold the building.”
“What building?”
“Our building.”
I stared.
“You sold my apartment?”
“Technically your apartment belongs to the new owner.”
“Mateo Falcone.”
He smiled.
“But I included a condition.”
“What condition?”
“Apartment 4C is being merged back into 4B.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“The wall comes down next month.”
“You’re combining them?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He stepped closer.
“Because you complained it was too small.”
“Six months ago.”
“I remember complaints.”
“You remember everything I say.”
“Unfortunately.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck.
“So where am I supposed to live during construction?”
His expression became suspiciously innocent.
“My house has several empty bedrooms.”
“Absolutely not.”
“One?”
“No.”
“Two?”
“That isn’t how bedrooms work.”
He kissed me.
I kissed him back.
Then he whispered against my mouth.
“Move in with me.”
I stopped.
This was different.
Not hiding.
Not protection.
Not survival.
A choice.
“Ask me again when nobody is shooting at us.”
He smiled.
“Nobody is shooting at us.”
I looked around.
He was right.
For once.
So he asked again.
“Elena Cruz, will you move in with me?”
I smiled.
“Yes.”
His entire face changed.
Then I added, “But I’m keeping my apartment.”
His smile disappeared.
“Why?”
“Because boundaries are healthy.”
“You’re impossible.”
“You love me.”
“Yes.”
He kissed me again.
May you like
And for the first time, loving Mateo Falcone felt less like standing beside a fire.
It felt like coming home.
