Page 27 of Hacker Beloved

Vincenzo's words hung in the air, his declaration clear and unwavering. "You may leave this room, but you won't leave New York with those documents," Vincenzo warned.

Kat, never one to back down from a challenge, met Vincenzo's words with a playful smile. "Is that a challenge?" she asked, a glimmer of excitement dancing in her eyes.

Vincenzo's response was resolute. "No, it's a promise. Liu and I own New York," he asserted.

Kat threw her head back and laughed. "Challenge accepted," she declared.

With that, Kat swung the door open, and we swiftly made our way toward the exit. When we reached the doors that lead to the street, Paolo sat calmly sipping his coffee, his expression curious as we approached him. Antonio wasted no time in laying down the ultimatum. "You have a choice to make, Paolo. You can align yourself with the Russo family or stand with us. If you choose to join us, there will be a job for you," he stated.

Paolo's eyes flickered between each of us, contemplating the gravity of the decision before him. The choice he made would determine not only his own fate, but also the alliances and loyalties that would shape the upcoming battle.

11

ZAYLA

As the sunbegan to set, casting a warm golden glow over Manhattan, I observed the scene before me. We were gathered on the spacious outdoor terrace of our penthouse suite, surrounded by sleek glass railings that offered a panoramic view of the city. The gentle breeze carried a hint of pizza from the restaurants below, mingling with the aroma of Paolo's cigarette smoke.

Paolo exuded an air of nonchalance as he leaned against the railing, his form relaxed yet vigilant.

"Paolo, thank you so much for helping us," I said sincerely, appreciating what he did.

Paolo took a puff of his cigarette and casually leaned against the railing. "My brother has wanted me to change jobs for years," he explained. "I know AA security is a good company, and I promise to be a loyal soldier." His words carried a sense of determination and a willingness to contribute.

Antonio tilted his head to the side, his expression unreadable. "We don't expect blind allegiance," he began, his voice steady. "All I ask is that you don’t marry the first person you are assigned to protect, adhere to basic ethical principles, and try to minimize the amount of people you kill."

Kat raised her glass of wine toward Paolo. "Wait a second," she interjected. "Paolo might be onto something. Imagine if all our employees unquestioningly followed every instruction, we gave them. It would be like we had our own set of minions."

Asher directed his attention toward Kat. "Technically, Kat, you are an employee under both my and Antonio's authority," he stated, a hint of playful banter in his voice. “So, you're suggesting that you should blindly follow our orders. I admit I like the sound of that.”

Kat's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "I fall under a different umbrella," she replied.

Antonio leaned in, planting a gentle kiss on Kat's cheek, a tender display of affection. "As much as I appreciate your idea, it's denied," he said, his tone gentle yet firm.

Asher gestured toward Paolo. "I'm just happy you decided to join the team. I can’t hire people fast enough to keep up with the demand. We’ll have an apartment set up for you by tomorrow. I know I don’t need to tell you this, but what we are about to walk into is dangerous," he warned.

"The text the killer sent Zayla told her to go alone," CJ said, his voice filled with concern. "I know we never planned on that, but we sure as hell should have more people on standby. We know Vincenzo and Lui will have men ready to intercept once Zayla retrieves the information from the box." CJ's words highlighted the urgency of the task ahead and the potential dangers that awaited us.

As the pieces of the case began to unravel, a thought took hold in my mind. “Could this person be specifically targeting me, because of what was concealed within the box?”

CJ nodded in agreement. "That's possible, but you’ve reported on this killer for six months," he remarked, his voice tinged with concern.

The timing felt too coincidental to ignore.

“Let’s go back to the beginning. I don’t remember what made you decide to investigate those deaths?”

I sighed, contemplating the nature of the emails. "I received an email about three deaths. At first I glanced over the medical report and they all died from a heart attack. So Ignored the email, but a few weeks later I got another message with three more deaths and a photo of a small incision. That’s the link and I started to dig, but none of them had anything in common, besides a one inch cut on their bicep," I admitted, frustration creeping into my words. The tip, an insignificant piece of information had unexpectedly set off a chain of events that led us to this point.

Antonio's expression turned serious as he interjected. "But there's something we're missing," he said. "How could an unrelated case become so personal? It’s as if the killer baited you into this sick game with your own podcast. And the information they found on Kat - that seems nearly impossible. Not to mention, they planned to target your neighbor, plus he know details about your childhood, and the fucker knew about your father’s safety deposit box." Paolo extinguished his cigarette, dropping it into a nearby cup. "It's almost as if this person used to be part of one of these syndicates," he speculated, his tone laced with intrigue.

The possibility that the perpetrator had insider knowledge or connections within the criminal underworld couldn't be dismissed.

I let out an exasperated huff, feeling the frustration welling up within me. "So, you're suggesting that this person happened to move to Raleigh, where I live, and start a killing spree. When I was tied down to that table, they were mad at me for broadcasting their kills on my podcast," I said incredulously.

The idea felt so far-fetched, stretching the boundaries of plausibility.

CJ drained the last remnants of his wine and gently set the glass on the table, signaling that it was time to wrap up the discussion. "It's getting late, and we have a challenging day ahead of us. Let's call it a night and reconvene first thing in the morning," he suggested.

"I agree," Kat chimed in, her voice filled with agreement. A mischievous smile played across her lips as she added, "I owe my husband a round of hot dirty sex for shooting that man today." Her comment elicited a knowing chuckle from the group, lightening the mood.

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