Chapter 4 - Beneath Rinaldi’s
The basement beneath Rinaldi’s restaurant had three levels.
Silvio had known about two.
That realization alone told him how badly he had underestimated Dominic.
By the time they returned to Manhattan, Maya had been restrained and placed under guard in a secure location.
Matteo drove.
Nora sat beside Silvio.
Neither spoke much.
Finally, she asked, “Do you trust Matteo?”
Silvio looked at his cousin behind the wheel.
“I’m trying.”
Matteo met his eyes through the mirror.
“Appreciated.”
Nora almost smiled.
The restaurant had closed early.
Staff had been sent home.
Only Silvio’s loyal security remained.
Carlo, terrified now that Dominic’s protection was gone, revealed the hidden access.
Behind the wine cellar stood a brick wall.
One brick triggered a mechanical lock.
The wall shifted.
Cold air emerged from darkness.
Nora stared.
“This was under your restaurant?”
Silvio’s shame showed for the first time.
“Yes.”
The passage descended beneath the neighboring building.
Old Prohibition tunnels.
Dominic had used them for years.
They found cages.
Storage rooms.
A monitoring station.
Computers.
Weapons.
Then Nora heard coughing.
“Elias?”
She ran.
Silvio grabbed her arm.
“Wait.”
A hallway stretched ahead.
At the far end, a man sat behind a locked steel door.
Nora knew him instantly.
“Elias!”
Her brother raised his head.
He had lost weight.
One eye was swollen.
But he was alive.
“Nora?”
She ran.
Silvio checked the corridor before following.
Nora reached through the bars.
Elias stumbled toward her.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
She laughed and cried at the same time.
“You leave me a postcard telling me to find a mafia boss and now you’re criticizing my decisions?”
Elias pressed his forehead against hers through the bars.
“I thought you’d run.”
“You’ve known me thirty-two years.”
“Exactly why I hoped.”
Silvio found the keys.
The door opened.
Nora wrapped both arms around her brother.
For several seconds, the rest of the world disappeared.
Then Elias saw Silvio.
His expression changed.
“Mr. Rinaldi.”
Silvio approached.
“I owe you an apology.”
Elias gave a tired laugh.
“You owe me three years.”
“I know.”
Before Silvio could say more, alarms screamed.
Matteo shouted from the tunnel.
“We have company!”
Lights flashed red.
Elias grabbed Silvio.
“Dominic knows you found me.”
“How?”
“There are cameras everywhere.”
Silvio looked toward the ceiling.
A small lens blinked.
“Move!”
Gunfire erupted above.
They ran through the underground passage.
Elias limped.
Nora supported him.
Silvio fired twice toward approaching footsteps.
Matteo covered the rear.
“Exit?”
Elias pointed.
“Old delivery tunnel. Leads to Mercer Street.”
They reached a steel ladder.
Silvio sent Nora first.
Then Elias.
When Silvio began climbing, an explosion shook the tunnel.
Dust filled the passage.
Matteo shouted.
The ceiling collapsed behind them.
They emerged through a sidewalk utility hatch two blocks away.
Nora fell onto the wet pavement.
Sirens approached.
Silvio pulled Elias upright.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“No.”
They moved.
Twenty minutes later, they were inside Anthony’s private office.
A doctor treated Elias’s injuries.
Nora sat beside him.
Silvio remained near the window.
Elias looked at him.
“Dominic killed your father.”
Silvio didn’t move.
“I know.”
“He didn’t pull the trigger.”
“Who did?”
“Your uncle Paolo.”
Silvio turned sharply.
“Paolo died fifteen years ago.”
“Dominic arranged that too.”
Elias closed his eyes from pain.
“Victor discovered the theft. Dominic convinced Paolo that Victor planned to remove him from the family. Paolo killed Victor. Dominic later eliminated Paolo before he could confess.”
Silvio stared into the darkness.
For years, he had believed his father died in a war between families.
He had built his entire empire around preventing another war.
Dominic had shaped that belief.
Manipulated him.
Raised him.
Silvio whispered, “He made me into exactly what he needed.”
Elias shook his head.
“No.”
Silvio looked at him.
“Dominic tried.”
That distinction mattered.
Elias explained the rest.
Three years earlier, after discovering new theft, he suspected Dominic.
Instead of confronting him, Elias duplicated the evidence.
Dominic learned of it.
Elias fled.
He spent three years tracing shell companies under false identities.
Eventually, he realized Dominic was not just stealing.
He was preparing to take Silvio’s empire.
“He wanted you isolated,” Elias said. “Distrusted by your own people. Under investigation. Financially weakened.”
“Then kill me.”
“Yes.”
“And blame?”
“Matteo.”
Matteo swore.
Elias nodded.
“The M.R. initials were planted to make you suspect him. Maya Reyes was Dominic’s actual inside contact.”
Silvio looked at Matteo.
His cousin folded his arms.
“You owe me a drink.”
“Several.”
Nora watched them.
Something old repaired itself quietly.
Then Elias’s expression became serious.
“There’s something else.”
“What?” Silvio asked.
“Dominic moved most of the money.”
“To where?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because the money was never the final objective.”
Elias sat upright despite the doctor’s protest.
“He wants legitimacy.”
Silvio frowned.
“He already has legitimate businesses.”
“Not enough. He wants your entire public empire after you’re dead.”
“How?”
“Your will.”
Silvio froze.
Anthony turned from his desk.
“My office prepared that will.”
Elias looked at him.
“Who witnessed the latest revision?”
Anthony became pale.
Silvio answered.
“Dominic.”
The room went silent.
Under Silvio’s succession documents, if he died without children, control of several trusts passed temporarily to a management committee.
Dominic chaired that committee.
Matteo said, “So he kills you, frames me, takes control.”
Elias nodded.
“And spends the next year converting temporary authority into permanent ownership.”
Nora looked at Silvio.
“Then why hasn’t he killed you already?”
Elias answered.
“Because he needs one more thing.”
“What?”
“Your signature.”
Silvio narrowed his eyes.
“On what?”
“A restructuring agreement.”
Anthony suddenly opened a file on his computer.
His face fell.
“I received documents yesterday. Dominic requested an emergency board meeting tomorrow.”
Silvio walked over.
Anthony displayed the agenda.
Corporate stabilization plan.
Temporary transfer of executive authority.
Signature authorization.
Silvio laughed quietly.
“He expects me to walk into a room and hand him my empire.”
Elias shook his head.
“He expects you not to have a choice.”
Silvio’s phone rang.
Dominic.
Everyone stared.
Silvio answered on speaker.
“Dominic.”
“My boy.”
The old man sounded warm.
Concerned.
Silvio hated him for how familiar the voice felt.
“I heard there was trouble at the restaurant.”
“You hear quickly.”
“I always worry about you.”
Silvio’s jaw tightened.
“What do you want?”
A pause.
Then Dominic’s tone changed.
“I want you to stop pretending you’ve won.”
Nora’s hand tightened around Elias’s.
Dominic continued.
“You found the accountant. Congratulations.”
Silvio said nothing.
“You found the records. Even better.”
Still silence.
“But you’re forgetting something.”
“What?”
“People don’t follow evidence, Silvio.”
Dominic chuckled.
“They follow power.”
“You think you still have it?”
“I know I do.”
Silvio walked to the window.
“You killed my father.”
The silence on the phone lasted three seconds.
Then Dominic sighed.
“Victor was sentimental.”
Silvio closed his eyes.
“He trusted you.”
“He underestimated me.”
“You mean he loved you.”
Another pause.
Dominic answered softly.
“Love is just trust without adequate precautions.”
Nora watched Silvio’s face become stone.
Dominic said, “Board meeting. Ten tomorrow morning.”
“I won’t be there.”
“Oh, I think you will.”
A sound came through the phone.
A child crying.
Silvio stiffened.
Matteo whispered, “What the hell?”
Dominic said, “Your cousin’s daughter is lovely.”
Matteo lunged toward the phone.
“Isabella?”
Silvio held him back.
Dominic continued.
“Seven years old. Red backpack. Piano lessons on Thursdays.”
Matteo’s face collapsed.
“You touch her—”
“Ten o’clock,” Dominic said.
“Bring the original case. Silvio signs the documents. Elias confirms publicly that the records were fabricated. Then Isabella goes home.”
Nora stared at Silvio.
Dominic’s final words came softly.
“Choose carefully, my boy.”
The call ended.
Matteo punched the wall.
Silvio looked at Elias.
“We have thirteen hours.”
Elias shook his head.
“No.”
“What?”
“We have less.”
He pointed toward the flash drive.
“Dominic always sets up a second move.”
Silvio stared.
Elias looked around the room.
“The kidnapping isn’t the plan.”
Nora whispered, “Then what is?”
May you like
Elias answered.
“It’s the distraction.”
