Chapter 9 - THE BETRAYAL
Thaddeus Russell had been beside Matteo for seventeen years.
He had taken bullets for him.
Killed for him.
Covered his tracks.
Protected Clara.
Or so Matteo had believed.
They found Thaddeus at the old Falcone warehouse.
He didn't run.
He stood beneath a hanging light with his hands in his coat pockets.
Matteo walked toward him.
“Where is Clara?”
Thaddeus smiled.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
Matteo raised his gun.
“You betrayed me.”
“No.”
“You sold information to my father.”
“Yes.”
“You helped kidnap my wife.”
“No.”
Matteo hesitated.
Thaddeus continued.
“I was trying to save her.”
Matteo lowered the weapon slightly.
“Explain.”
“Your father planned to kill Clara.”
“Why?”
“Because she found the ledger.”
Matteo stared.
“She wasn't supposed to find it.”
“No.”
Thaddeus looked exhausted.
“Neither were you.”
Matteo stepped closer.
“Who ordered Peter's warehouse raid?”
“Victor.”
“Who leaked Clara's location?”
“Your brother.”
“Who attacked my mother's estate?”
“Victor's men.”
“Then why did you betray me?”
Thaddeus looked directly into Matteo's eyes.
“Because you were becoming Victor.”
Silence.
Matteo's face hardened.
“You abandoned me.”
“No.”
“I trusted you.”
“I know.”
Thaddeus reached into his coat.
Frank raised his weapon.
But Thaddeus pulled out a flash drive.
“Everything is on this.”
Matteo took it.
“What?”
“Payments. Names. Judges. Cops. Politicians.”
He swallowed.
“And proof that your father ordered the murders.”
Matteo looked at the drive.
“Why give it to me?”
“Because I'm tired.”
“Tired of what?”
“Watching good people become monsters.”
A gunshot cracked.
Thaddeus jerked backward.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Matteo caught him.
“Thaddeus!”
A second shot.
Frank fired toward the window.
The shooter vanished.
Matteo held Thaddeus.
“Stay with me.”
Thaddeus coughed.
“Find Clara.”
“I will.”
“No.”
Thaddeus gripped his coat.
“Find her before Luca does.”
Matteo froze.
“What does Luca want?”
Thaddeus whispered,
“The throne.”
Then his eyes closed.
Matteo stood slowly.
His face became expressionless.
He turned toward Frank.
“Call every man we have.”
Frank nodded.
“What are you going to do?”
May you like
Matteo looked at the blood on his hands.
“End this.”
