Chapter 8 - The Viper's Reckoning
I looked at Dante, who stood near the control console on the side wall.
“Bring in the visitor,” I ordered.
The secondary door of the vault opened, and two of my tactical guards dragged Victor Vane into the room. His hands were zip-tied behind his back, his silk robe replaced by a grey jumpsuit.
Hector Ross’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw the formidable mob boss dragged in like a common criminal.
“Victor…?” Hector whispered in absolute disbelief.
Victor Vane didn’t even look at Hector. He dropped to his knees on the concrete floor, looking up at me with open pleading in his eyes.
“Gabriel,” Vane rasped out. “I’ve signed over all the port titles. My captains have surrendered their keys to Dante. The Vane Syndicate is completely dismantled. I’ve given you everything you asked for. Please… spare my life.”
I looked down at Vane, then turned my gaze toward Hector and his eight sons.
“Do you see this man, Hector?” I asked quietly. “This is Victor Vane—the man you were so terrified of that you beat my wife to pay off your debt to him. You thought he was the ultimate power in this city. You thought his name was enough to make people shiver.”
Hector swallowed hard, his lips trembling so violently he couldn't form words.
“Victor Vane is nothing,” I continued, stepping closer to Hector. “Every politician he bought was funded by my banks. Every port he operated was leased from my holding companies. You thought you were running from a wolf, Hector… so you ran straight into the mouth of the dragon.”
I pulled a thick leather folder from Dante’s hands and threw it onto the lap of the eldest brother, Marcus.
“Inside that folder,” I informed them, “are nine signed confessions detailed by the federal prosecutor’s office. You are all charged with conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, financial fraud, and aggravated assault.”
Marcus stared at the papers, his hands trembling behind his back. “Federal prison…? You’re sending us to federal prison?”
“Not a standard federal prison, Marcus,” I corrected him softly, a cold smile touching my lips. “Supermax Facility 4 in Colorado. A maximum-security underground prison where you will spend twenty-three hours a day in solitary confinement, surrounded by concrete walls, stripped of sunlight, family, and freedom for the rest of your natural lives.”
Hector let out a strangled sob, dropping his head into his chest. “Please… Damon… execution would be kinder than that…”
“I know,” I replied softly. “That’s why you’re going to live.”
I turned to Clara, gently holding her hand. “Is this justice for you, my love?”
May you like
Clara looked at the nine broken men who had terrorized her entire life. She looked at her father, who was now weeping like a terrified child on the floor.
“Yes,” Clara said firmly, her voice echoing with profound, unshakeable finality. “Take them away.”
