Book Tow: Alessandro redemption tested

Chapter 1: Quiet Before the Storm

Rain traced crooked lines down the windows of the penthouse, turning the city lights into a blur of gold and crimson. Alessandro watched the storm roll over the skyline, a glass of whiskey in his hand, the ice melting slower than the questions in his mind.

For weeks, peace had felt almost real. The Marcones and Belluccis were gone, their empires turned to ash. Rachel had unpacked boxes she'd kept sealed for years. Even Vinnie's family had begun to smile again, starting fresh under new names far from the city.

But tonight, the wind carried an edge of something familiar—something sharp. A warning.

Rachel stepped into the living room, phone pressed to her ear. "Yes, I'll tell him," she said, voice clipped. When she hung up, her eyes met Alessandro's across the room. "That was Monroe. Three men were found dead in a warehouse in Brooklyn. Ex-Bellucci soldiers."

Alessandro's jaw tensed. "Another score being settled?"

Rachel hesitated. "Monroe thinks it was professional. Clean shots. No signs of struggle. He says there are rumors… of a new group moving in."

He finished his drink, the glass cracking as he set it down. "I was afraid of this," he said quietly. "When you cut off one head, another always grows."

A knock at the door interrupted them. Alessandro's hand went to the gun on the coffee table before he nodded to Rachel. Nico entered, his coat dripping with rain, eyes dark.

"We have a problem," Nico said without preamble. He dropped a flash drive on the table. "Our contacts in Naples sent this. It's security footage. A man was asking questions about you, boss—about what happened with the Marcones and Belluccis."

Alessandro connected the drive to the laptop. The video flickered to life: a tall man in a tailored overcoat, face hidden in shadows, speaking to a dockworker. The voice was distorted, but the words were unmistakable:

"Tell me where to find Alessandro Romano. Tell me everything."

Rachel exhaled sharply. "He's not just asking. He's hunting you."

Thunder cracked above the city. Alessandro stared at the frozen frame of the stranger on the screen. The weight of old sins pressed on his chest, heavy as the storm.

"If someone's coming for me," he said, his voice low and cold, "we meet them head-on. I won't let another war destroy this city."

He turned to Rachel and Nico, eyes burning with determination. "Start calling everyone we trust. We're not waiting for them to strike."

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating his face in stark white. In the distance, the city slept—unaware that the peace they'd won was already crumbling.