Chapter 5: A Bloody Message

The drive back to the DeLuca mansion felt unusually long, even though it was only a few miles away. Tony’s mind raced, processing the conversation with Lila. He had expected a reporter to play dirty, but the way she’d come at him with those photographs—those hard, damning images of his family, of him standing in a room with the Romanos—had rattled him more than he cared to admit. What did she know? How much was she really after?

The more he thought about it, the more Tony realized how precarious the situation had become. Lila Moretti wasn’t just a journalist, she was a player in this game, and right now, she had the upper hand. Tony wasn’t sure whether she was genuinely offering a way out, or if she was positioning herself to squeeze him until there was nothing left to extract. Either way, the DeLuca family had more enemies than they’d ever had before, and it wasn’t just the Romanos. Lila had made that clear.

He arrived at the mansion just as the last traces of daylight were fading. The sprawling estate loomed dark against the sky, the harsh lights casting long shadows across the lawn. His father’s absence had made the house feel emptier, quieter. Tony had once imagined himself in Don Vincenzo’s shoes, but now the weight of the title seemed crushing, suffocating. His father had ruled with an iron fist, but Tony wasn’t sure if he could or even wanted to follow in those footsteps.

As he walked inside, he was greeted by Sal, who stood by the door, waiting for him.

“Anything new?” Tony asked, his voice tight.

Sal shook his head. “The men are ready. We’ve got eyes on the Romanos, just like you asked. But there’s something else, Tony.”

Tony paused. He didn’t like the way Sal said it—like there was something waiting to explode.

“What is it?”

Sal’s jaw tightened. “There was a message left for us. Not from the Romanos... but from someone else. We found it this morning.”

Tony’s heart skipped a beat. "A message?"

Sal nodded grimly. “A body. One of our own. Stabbed in the chest, but it wasn’t just a killing. They carved something into his skin.”

Tony’s stomach turned. He didn’t need to ask who “they” were. There was only one group who would send a message like that.

The door to the mansion opened, and Sophie walked in, her expression unreadable. She had been quiet ever since their conversation earlier in the café, but Tony could see the same determination in her eyes now. She wasn’t about to let this family fall apart on her watch.

“Who was it?” she asked, her voice cold.

Tony turned to her, the weight of the news pressing down on him. “It was Marco. He was a runner for us. Young kid. Took a bullet last year during a street bust, but he came back strong. Or he did.”

Sal continued, his voice low. “They carved the words ‘DeLuca’s End.’ Whoever did this wants us to know they’re coming for us.”

A chill ran down Tony’s spine as the words sank in. DeLuca’s End. It was clear now that this wasn’t just some random act of violence. This was a message from someone who knew exactly where to hurt them the most. And it wasn’t just the Romanos who had a stake in this game. There were other factions—old rivalries, fractured alliances—that had been lying in wait, biding their time.

“They want to provoke us,” Sophie said, her voice ice-cold. “And they’re not just coming for the DeLucas. They’re coming for you, Tony. And for the entire family. If we don’t strike back, we’ll look weak.”

Tony stood in silence, the weight of their words hanging in the air like a thick fog. This wasn’t just about protecting their business, their empire. This was personal. Whoever had sent the message knew how to get to him, knew how to make him feel the loss. Marco was dead. And the reminder that they were all expendable, even the loyal men who had been with the family for years, burned like fire in Tony’s chest.

"Who could’ve done this?" Tony finally asked, his voice tight. He couldn’t afford to waste time speculating; the threat was too immediate.

Sal exchanged a look with Sophie before answering. "Could be anyone. We have a lot of enemies, Tony. The Romanos, sure. But there’s also the Valentis—the Rojas. Even some of the old crew that didn’t get along with your father might be looking to make a move now that he’s out of the picture."

Sophie’s lips curled into a slight, humorless smile. “Let’s not forget Lila Moretti. She might be more dangerous than she lets on.”

Tony turned to her sharply. “Don’t even start, Sophie. She’s a reporter, not a killer.”

Sophie shrugged, unfazed. “She’s digging into our business, Tony. And if she’s not directly involved, she’s not far from it. The point is, there are more people with a stake in our downfall than you realize. You have to act fast. Or everything we’ve built will come crumbling down.”

Tony ran a hand through his hair, frustration mounting. "I know, I know. But what do we do? We can’t go off half-cocked. Whoever’s behind this... they want us to react. They want us to make a mistake."

Sal stepped forward. "We don’t wait, boss. We take the fight to them. We hit whoever did this first. We show them we’re not backing down."

Tony’s mind churned, considering the options. Sal was right, in a way. If they waited too long, they’d lose the initiative. But charging in without a plan, without knowing who their real enemy was, could lead them into a trap.

“I’m not going to be pushed into making a rash decision,” Tony said finally. “But we’re not sitting on our hands either. I’ll talk to the men. We’ll find out who’s behind this, and we’ll hit them hard. No hesitation. No mercy.”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “And what about Lila?”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “Let me handle the reporter. You focus on the family. The Romanos will have to wait.”

But as Tony looked at the faces of the people in the room, he felt a cold knot settle in his stomach. The attack on Marco, the bloody message carved into his body, was just the beginning. And whoever was behind it, whoever was sending these messages, wasn’t going to stop until they had taken everything.

His next move had to be perfect. One wrong step, and the DeLuca family wouldn’t just be facing the Romanos—they’d be facing their end.

As Tony prepared to meet with his men, his phone buzzed again. A new message. This one, however, was from an unknown number.

“We know what you’ve done, DeLuca. We know who you are. The game is over. We’re coming for you. This is your warning.”

The threat sent a shiver through his spine.

Tony didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The game was just beginning.

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