Chapter 7 - The Bride’s Bargain
The bathroom of the master suite was vast, a temple of imported marble and gold fixtures. The moment the heavy door locked behind them, Sofia collapsed onto the tiled floor, the emerald silk of her gown pooling around her like a broken leaf.
She didn't cry. Crying was for the hopeless, and Sofia was rapidly moving past hopelessness into a terrifying, hollow desperation. Anna knelt beside her, a cool, damp towel in hand, gently wiping the beads of sweat from the agent’s forehead.
“He’s going to make them kill each other,” Sofia whispered, her voice devoid of emotion. “Vincenzo is going to murder his own son based on the intel I transmitted. I’m an accessory to a mafia bloodbath.”
“You couldn't have known,” Anna said quietly, though the comfort felt incredibly cheap. “Carlo played everyone. The Bureau included.”
Sofia looked up at Anna, her eyes suddenly hardening. The terrified bride vanished, and the trained federal operative snapped back into focus. She grabbed Anna’s wrist, her grip surprisingly strong.
“The FBI won't save me now,” Sofia said flatly. “Even if I could get a message out, I’m a liability. I’ve inadvertently aided a syndicate in taking over the Eastern seaboard. If they extract me, I go to federal prison for treason. If I stay, I am Matteo’s prisoner until he gets bored and puts a bullet in my head.”
Anna swallowed hard. “So what do you do?”
“I stop playing the victim,” Sofia said, pushing herself off the floor. She walked over to the sprawling vanity and stared at her reflection. She wiped the smeared mascara from beneath her eyes. “If I am going to be trapped in hell, I might as well make a deal with the devil.”
Ten minutes later, the door to the master suite clicked open. Don Carlo stood in the doorway, his silhouette imposing in the dim light of the hallway. Matteo was occupied downstairs, seeing the broken Romanos out. Carlo had come alone.
“Are you feeling better, my dear?” Carlo asked, his tone dripping with patronizing warmth.
“Cut the act, Carlo,” Sofia said.
The Don paused, his eyebrows rising slightly. He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He looked at Sofia, then at Anna, who was standing rigidly by the wall.
“A bold tone for a woman in an emerald cage,” Carlo noted, leaning on his silver-handled cane.
“You want the Romanos gone. You’re using my wire to feed the Bureau breadcrumbs,” Sofia said, pacing the room with predatory grace. “But breadcrumbs will only get you so far. Eventually, Vance will realize the intelligence is too perfectly curated. He’ll suspect a setup. He’ll pull the plug, and your weapon vanishes.”
Carlo’s eyes narrowed. “And your point?”
“My point is that a passive wire is amateur hour,” Sofia countered. “You need an active double agent. You need someone who can call Agent Vance, speak in FBI operational codes, and deliberately misdirect their strike teams to wipe out your enemies without arousing suspicion. You need me. Willingly.”
Anna stopped breathing. Sofia was fully crossing the line. She was offering to become a dirty agent.
Carlo studied the young woman, a genuine smile spreading across his weathered face. “A remarkable proposal. And what do you ask for in return for this willing treason?”
“My life,” Sofia said fiercely. “When the Romanos are dead, and you control the city, I want an annulment. I want a new identity. And I want to walk away.”
Carlo chuckled, a dry, raspy sound. “You think you can just wash the blood off your hands and walk away?”
“I am offering you absolute power, Carlo. Give me my freedom in exchange.”
Carlo looked at her for a long, agonizing moment. Then, he nodded slowly.
“Very well, Sofia. You have a deal. You will feed the Bureau exactly what I command, using your voice. But understand this,” Carlo stepped closer, his aura suddenly radiating pure, suffocating menace. “If you double-cross me, I won't just kill you. I will send your severed hands to Agent Vance in a gift box. Do we have an understanding?”
May you like
“Yes,” Sofia whispered.
“Good,” Carlo smiled. He looked at Anna in the corner. “Anna, make sure she looks her best tomorrow. My daughter-in-law has a very important phone call to make.”
