Chapter 170: Your Brother Was In Rome Last Week

POV: ENZO

Enzo’s phone rang at 11 AM Rome time.

Unknown number. Encrypted.

One of his intelligence contacts.

He answered immediately. "Talk."

"We have a situation." The voice on the other end was clipped, professional. Vitale, one of Enzo’s best sources in Rome, a man who traded information for money and had ears everywhere. "Your brother was in Rome last week."

Enzo went very still. "I know. Business trip."

"Business that ended in fifteen dead Romanos in a Trastevere alley."

Fuck.

"What happened?" Enzo asked, already knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer.

"Dimitri was recruiting someone, we don’t know who, that part’s locked down tight. But the Romanos got wind of it. Salvatore Romano himself led an ambush. Fifteen men. They caught Dimitri and his team leaving a safe house."

"And?"

"And all fifteen Romanos are dead. Sal included. Your brother put a bullet between his eyes before killing the rest." Vitale paused. "It was a massacre, Enzo. Bodies everywhere. Blood all over the cobblestones. Dimitri’s team didn’t even break a sweat."

Enzo felt something cold settle in his chest.

Fifteen men.

Dimitri had killed fifteen men and walked away.

That was the Devil’s reputation. But hearing it confirmed, hearing the body count....still made Enzo’s blood run cold.

"Was Dimitri hurt?" Enzo asked.

"Unclear. His team got him out fast. No hospital visits that we can track. But there’s chatter that he was bleeding when he left the scene. Whether that was his blood or someone else’s...." Vitale made a noise. "We can’t confirm. Your brother knows how to cover his tracks."

"What about my father? Does he know?"

"If he does, he hasn’t made any moves yet. But it happened in his territory, so chances are high someone’s already told him. The Romanos aren’t exactly quiet about losing fifteen soldiers."

Enzo processed that.

If Antonio knew Dimitri had been in Rome, had gotten into a firefight that left fifteen bodies in the street.....

There would be consequences.

Their father didn’t tolerate unauthorized operations in his territory. Didn’t tolerate his sons making moves without his knowledge.

Even if Dimitri had been defending himself.

"There’s more," Vitale said. "The Romano family has a new head. Sal’s older brother stepped up after the massacre."

"Name and what he looks like?"

"That’s the thing. Nobody knows what he looks like, His name is Dante." Vitale’s voice dropped. "This guy is a ghost. Been running operations in Naples for years, but always from the shadows. No one’s ever seen his face. No photos. No public appearances. Even his own soldiers don’t know what he looks like....he uses intermediaries for everything."

"How is that possible?"

"Paranoia. Control. Maybe both." Vitale paused. "But here’s what we do know: he’s smart. Strategic. And he’s out for blood. Word on the street is he’s sworn to make Dimitri pay for Sal’s death. Not just kill him, destroy everything he’s built. His empire, his reputation, his family."

Enzo felt his jaw tighten. "Threats or action?"

"Unknown. But the fact that he’s stayed hidden this long means he’s patient. Doesn’t make rash moves. Plans everything carefully." Vitale’s voice turned grim. "That’s the dangerous kind, Enzo. The ones who wait. The ones who build strategy instead of just sending soldiers."

"Keep gathering intel. I want to know the second this mystery Romano makes a move. Any move."

"Will do. But Enzo...." Vitale hesitated. "Your brother just painted a target on his back the size of Rome. The Romanos aren’t going to let this slide. And if this new boss is as smart as people say, he’s not going to come at Dimitri head-on. He’s going to find weaknesses. Exploit them. Hit where it hurts most."

"Noted. Send me everything you have."

"Already encrypted and sent. Watch your back, Enzo. This is going to get ugly."

The call ended.

Enzo sat in his New York office, staring at his phone, processing.

Dimitri had been ambushed.

Had killed fifteen men.

Might have been injured.

And now had the Romano family, led by a ghost.....planning revenge.

And their might or might not know about all of it.

Enzo should have stayed out of it.

Should have let Dimitri handle his own problems.

But despite everything, despite the rivalry, the tension, the complicated mess of their relationship....

Dimitri was still his brother.

And Enzo needed to know if he was okay.

He pulled up Dimitri’s contact, stared at it for a long moment.

Then hit call.

***

POV: DIMITRI

Dimitri was lying in bed...again, when his phone rang.

He’d been trying to work from his laptop, but Eve had confiscated it twenty minutes ago.

"You’re supposed to be resting," she’d said, her voice firm. "Not running your empire from bed."

"I can do both....."

"No." She’d closed the laptop with a definitive click. "Nonna’s orders. And mine. You rest or I’m calling your doctor and having him put you on mandatory bed rest."

"You don’t have my doctor’s number."

"I’ll get it from Marco." Eve had kissed his forehead. "Rest. I mean it."

Then she’d left for a meeting, taking his laptop with her like he was a child being punished.

Dimitri had been sulking ever since.

His shoulder was healing well. The back wound too. The pain was manageable with Nonna’s Concoctions.

But Eve and Nonna had formed an alliance dedicated to keeping him horizontal.

Which was driving him insane.

When his phone rang....Enzo’s name flashing on the screen, Dimitri sat up immediately.

Winced as his shoulder protested.

Stood carefully, moved to the window.

Whatever Enzo wanted, it wasn’t going to be a conversation he could have lying down.

He answered. "Enzo."

Silence on the other end.

Dimitri waited, looking out at the New York skyline, letting the silence stretch.

Two full minutes passed.

Finally, Enzo spoke. "Are you okay?"

Dimitri’s eyebrows rose. "Since when do you care about my health?"

"Since I heard you were ambushed in Rome by fifteen Romanos and might have been shot."

Dimitri went very still.

How did Enzo know?

"Where did you hear that?" Dimitri asked carefully.

"I have sources. They told me you killed all fifteen men. Including Sal Romano. And that you might have been injured getting out."