Chapter 10 - The Cost of the TruthThree weeks after Mina was shot, the city learned the Castellano name for all the wrong reasons.
Mina was not a Castellano.
Not really.
She didn’t think like them.
She didn’t care about appearing strong.
She had spent her life broke, underestimated, and ignored.
People who ignored you often forgot you were listening.
Marco gave her the fake folder.
The real files had already left the estate in three separate vehicles.
Mina tucked the folder beneath her arm.
“You’re sure he won’t know?”
“Not immediately.”
“Comforting.”
Anna caught her hand.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.”
“You don’t owe this family anything.”
Mina looked at her mother.
“I’m not doing it for the family.”
She touched Gabriel’s pendant.
“I’m doing it for Dad.”
Anna’s face broke.
Mina hugged her.
Then Marco opened the safe-room door.
They stepped into the hallway with Victor and two guards.
Mina carried the folder in plain sight.
Anthony waited in the grand foyer.
Dennis knelt beside him.
A gunman stood behind him.
Anthony smiled when Mina appeared.
“Smart girl.”
“Let him go.”
“Files first.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“You’re negotiating?”
“Yes.”
“Your father tried that.”
Mina stared at him.
“And you needed twenty years to clean up the mess he left. Maybe you’re not as impressive as you think.”
Victor whispered, “I like her.”
Marco almost smiled.
Anthony did not.
Mina continued.
“Dennis walks to the front door.”
“You give me the folder.”
“When he reaches the door.”
Anthony considered it.
Then nodded.
Dennis stood.
He began walking.
Ten feet.
Twenty.
Mina’s heart hammered.
Marco barely moved.
Thirty.
Dennis reached the entrance.
“Now.”
Mina slid the folder across the marble floor.
Anthony picked it up.
He opened it.
Account records.
Photos.
Copies convincing enough to pass at a glance.
His face relaxed.
“Finally.”
Then sirens sounded in the distance.
Anthony’s head snapped up.
Mina smiled.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You contacted the FBI.”
“I contacted everybody.”
Anthony grabbed her.
Marco moved.
A gun pressed against Mina’s ribs.
“Back.”
Marco stopped.
Anthony pulled Mina toward the staircase.
“You think newspapers frighten me?”
“No.”
“You think federal agents frighten me?”
“No.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
Mina looked at the ceiling.
“Because you’re standing under a camera.”
Anthony glanced up.
Every room in the estate had security recording.
“You just admitted Gabriel had negotiated with you before his death.”
His face changed.
“And ten minutes ago you threatened Dennis.”
Mina continued.
“And the feed is being transmitted off-site.”
Marco smiled now.
“That was the point of getting you inside.”
Anthony’s calm finally cracked.
“You planned the breach.”
“No,” Marco said. “But once you came through the gate, we made sure every camera stayed alive.”
Outside, helicopters thundered overhead.
Federal agents poured through the perimeter.
Several of Anthony’s gunmen dropped their weapons.
Others ran.
Victor moved toward Evelyn.
Marco watched Anthony.
“Let her go.”
Anthony’s arm tightened around Mina.
“You think I won’t?”
Mina could feel the tremor in his hand.
He was losing control.
For the first time in decades.
“Maybe you will,” Marco said. “But if you hurt her, you die in this foyer.”
Anthony looked around.
His empire had collapsed into a room full of witnesses.
Sirens.
Cameras.
Agents.
Family.
Mina whispered, “It’s over.”
Anthony looked at her.
“You sound like Gabriel.”
“Good.”
His eyes filled with rage.
Then Dennis moved.
He slammed into Anthony from the side.
The gun fired.
Mina fell.
Marco tackled Anthony.
Victor kicked the weapon away.
Federal agents rushed inside.
Mina lay on the floor.
Her ears rang.
Marco dropped beside her.
“Mina.”
She looked down.
Blood spread across her shirt.
Anna screamed.
“Mina!”
Marco pressed both hands to her side.
“Stay with me.”
“I’m here.”
“Ambulance!”
“I’m literally looking at you.”
“Mina.”
His face had gone white.
She had never seen fear like that on him.
She touched his cheek.
“You’re shaking.”
“Stop talking.”
“That’s rude.”
“Mina.”
She smiled weakly.
Then the room disappeared.
She woke in a hospital.
The first thing she heard was arguing.
“You cannot have eight security officers on one floor.”
Victor’s voice answered.
“Watch us.”
Mina opened her eyes.
Marco sat beside the bed.
His head was bowed.
His hand wrapped around hers.
“Hey.”
His head lifted instantly.
“Mina?”
She winced.
“What happened?”
“You were shot.”
“Did I win?”
His laugh broke halfway out.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Anna appeared in the doorway.
She began crying again.
Mina groaned.
“Everybody needs to stop doing that.”
Anna came to the bed and kissed her forehead.
“The bullet went through your side. No major organs.”
“Lucky.”
Marco looked away.
Mina squeezed his hand.
“What happened to Anthony?”
“Federal custody.”
“Dennis?”
“Alive.”
“Victor?”
“Insufferable.”
From the doorway, Victor said, “I heard that.”
Mina smiled.
Evelyn entered behind him.
She looked exhausted.
But peaceful.
“It’s finished.”
Mina shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“The notebook.”
Evelyn understood.
Anthony was only one man.
Dozens of names remained.
Judges.
Officers.
Businessmen.
People who had protected him.
Marco nodded.
“The investigation started this morning.”
Mina looked toward the television.
A news anchor stood outside the Castellano estate.
BREAKING NEWS.
Federal corruption probe.
Multiple arrests.
Judge Thomas Heller detained.
Police lieutenant Bradley Kane suspended.
Three businessmen charged.
Mina leaned back.
“My dad did that.”
Anna took her hand.
“He started it.”
May you like
Mina looked around the room.
“We finish it.”
