The Calm Before the Storm

Elena sat in her father’s old office, staring at the stack of paperwork in front of her. The dim light of the desk lamp cast long shadows across the room, and the heavy scent of cigar smoke still lingered in the air, as if her father had never left. The walls were lined with dark wood, a testament to the old world her father had operated in—one built on power, secrecy, and violence. But those days were gone. Now, it was Elena’s world, and the weight of it pressed heavily on her shoulders.

The victory at the docks had given her a sense of momentum, but it hadn’t come without cost. Two of her men had been injured in the firefight, and one of Santini’s top soldiers, Luca Ferraro, lay dead. His death would not go unanswered. Marco Santini would retaliate—it was only a matter of when and how.

She absentmindedly rubbed her temples, feeling the exhaustion from the past few days begin to catch up with her. There was no time to rest, no time to falter. The path she had chosen was filled with danger, and any sign of weakness could be fatal.

The door creaked open, and Vito stepped inside, his usual grim expression etched deeper into his face. “Elena, we need to talk.”

She looked up, weary but focused. “What is it?”

Vito closed the door behind him and approached the desk, his hands resting on the back of one of the leather chairs. “There’s been movement on Santini’s side. He’s pulled back most of his men from the streets, but I don’t think it’s because he’s afraid. I think he’s planning something.”

Elena nodded, the familiar tension creeping back into her chest. “He’ll want revenge for Ferraro. He won’t let that go unanswered.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Vito said. “We have to be ready for whatever he throws at us. And from what I’m hearing, he’s not just pulling back his men. He’s reaching out to the other families.”

Elena raised an eyebrow. “The other families? You think he’s trying to form an alliance?”

“It’s possible,” Vito replied. “If Santini can rally the other families behind him, we’ll be facing more than just a few of his soldiers. It’ll be an all-out war.”

A heavy silence hung in the air as Elena processed his words. An alliance between the families could tip the scales against her. The Russo name still held weight in San Michele, but her father’s death had left a vacuum, and many of the other crime syndicates had been waiting to see how Elena would handle the situation. If Santini could convince them that she was a threat, they might unite against her, seeing her as an obstacle to their own power.

“We need to act before Santini does,” Elena said, her mind racing through possible strategies. “If he’s trying to bring the other families together, we have to break that alliance before it’s formed.”

Vito frowned. “Easier said than done. The other families won’t be easy to sway, especially not after what happened at the docks. They’ll see you as the aggressor.”

Elena leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming against the desk. “Then we need to change the narrative. Make them see that Santini is the real threat. If he gets his hands on those weapons from Valeria, he’ll be unstoppable. The other families will be at his mercy, whether they side with him or not.”

Vito rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “We could reach out to the Bianchi family. They’ve always had a contentious relationship with Santini. If we can convince them to stay neutral, it might stop the others from jumping on board with him.”

Elena nodded slowly. “That’s a start. Set up a meeting with the Bianchis. I’ll handle it personally.”

Vito hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “There’s something else, Elena. Detective Sofia Torres has been asking questions. She’s been sniffing around the docks ever since the shootout.”

Elena’s eyes narrowed. The name sent a chill through her, though she tried not to let it show. Sofia Torres had been a thorn in her family’s side for years, long before Elena had stepped into her father’s shoes. The detective had a reputation for being relentless, always hovering on the edge of bringing down one of the city’s crime families. She had never been able to pin anything on Elena’s father, but Elena had no illusions—Sofia would not hesitate to come after her.

“What kind of questions?” Elena asked.

Vito shrugged. “Nothing direct yet, but she’s not stupid. She knows something’s going on, and it won’t be long before she figures out who’s behind the shootout.”

Elena sighed, rubbing her temples again. “Torres has always been a problem. We can’t afford to have her digging around, not now.”

“She’s tenacious,” Vito said. “But she’s also got a weakness—she’s been trying to clean up the city for years, and she’s running out of options. If she thinks there’s a chance to bring down Santini, she might be willing to overlook us.”

Elena raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You’re suggesting we use her?”

Vito nodded. “We let her focus on Santini. Feed her just enough information to make her think she’s onto something big. While she’s busy going after him, we can move in the shadows.”

Elena considered the idea carefully. Sofia Torres was dangerous, but if they could turn her attention toward Santini, it might buy them some time. Time they desperately needed.

“All right,” Elena said finally. “We’ll play this carefully. If Torres wants to take down Santini, we’ll help her—quietly. But we need to make sure she doesn’t get too close to us. One wrong move, and she’ll come after me instead.”

Vito nodded in agreement. “I’ll handle it.”

As Vito left the room, Elena leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but the game was far from over. Every move she made seemed to pull her deeper into the web of alliances and betrayals that had defined San Michele for years.

A soft knock at the door broke her from her thoughts. “Come in,” she called.

The door opened, and one of her men stepped inside. “Miss Russo, Marco Santini’s on the line. He says he wants to talk.”

Elena’s heart skipped a beat. A call from Santini? After the firefight at the docks, she hadn’t expected him to reach out so soon. This wasn’t just a move; it was a signal. He wasn’t waiting for her to come to him—he was coming to her.

“Put him through,” Elena said, her voice steady.

The man handed her the phone and left the room, closing the door behind him. Elena took a deep breath before putting the phone to her ear.

“Russo,” Santini’s voice was cold, devoid of any pleasantries. “I’ve been hearing some interesting things about what went down at the docks last night.”

Elena smirked, leaning forward on the desk. “I’m sure you have. Word travels fast in this city.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the tension between them palpable. “You killed one of my men,” Santini continued. “Luca was like a brother to me.”

“He made his choice,” Elena replied calmly. “He drew his weapon first. I wasn’t going to let him kill me.”

“You’re stepping into dangerous territory, Russo,” Santini said, his voice laced with a quiet threat. “You think you can take me on? You think you can rebuild your father’s empire by going after me?”

“I’m not afraid of you, Marco,” Elena shot back, her voice firm. “And I’m not looking for a war. But if you come after me, I’ll finish what we started at the docks.”

A low chuckle came through the phone. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. But you’re making a mistake. This city isn’t big enough for both of us.”

“Then we’ll see who’s left standing,” Elena replied, her tone icy.

There was another pause, and for a moment, Elena thought Santini might hang up. But then he spoke again, his voice lower, more controlled. “This isn’t over, Russo. Not by a long shot.”

The line went dead.

Elena stared at the phone in her hand, her heart racing. The conversation had been brief, but it had confirmed what she already knew—Santini wasn’t going to back down. He was coming for her, and the next strike could come at any moment.

She set the phone down and stood, her body tense with anticipation. The calm before the storm had passed, and the real battle was about to begin.

Whatever Santini had planned, Elena would be ready.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***