Chapter 9 - THE FALL OF THE VIPER
My bullet caught Carlo in the kneecap. He screamed, collapsing onto the metal grating of the catwalk. Chaos erupted once more, but it was short-lived. Without their leader, Carlo's remaining men threw down their weapons, realizing they were on the losing side of history.
I sprinted up the metal stairs, taking them two at a time, until I reached the catwalk. Marco was already untying Sofia, who collapsed into my arms, sobbing. I held her tight, kissing the top of her head. "I've got you. You're safe."
I handed her to Marco. "Get her to the medical team. Now."
I turned my attention to Carlo. He was dragging himself across the floor, leaving a trail of blood, desperately reaching for his dropped handgun. I stepped heavily on his wrist, crushing it beneath my boot. He let out an agonizing howl.
"Please, Lorenzo," he begged, spitting blood. "I'm your blood. I'm your family."
"You lost the right to call yourself family the night you let the Morrettis burn my father alive," I said, crouching down so I was eye-level with him. "Why? Why did you do it?"
"He was weak!" Carlo spat, his fear giving way to venom. "He wanted to take the family legitimate. He wanted peace. There is no peace in this world, Lorenzo! Only power! I did what had to be done to save the empire!"
"You didn't save it. You poisoned it."
I drew the Glock from my holster and pressed the cold steel against his forehead. He squeezed his eyes shut, trembling.
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"This is for my father. For my mother. For my brothers," I whispered.
I pulled the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the cavernous warehouse, marking the absolute and final end of the old Duca regime. The demons of my past were finally dead.
