The Betrayed Mafia’s Heir Chapter 20

Posted by Author, ? Views, Released on May 2, 2025

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“Six black SUVs approaching from the south entrance,” Dante’s voice crackled through Celeste’s earpiece, tension evident in his normally steady tone. “Heavy security detail—at least three men per vehicle. They’re armed to the teeth.”
Celeste pressed her back against the cold casino wall, the familiar weight of her custom Beretta grounding her.
Her fingers moved automatically, checking the magazine one final time—fifteen rounds, with two spare mags on her hip.
Her team of twenty elite fighters positioned themselves strategically throughout the abandoned casino floor, hidden among overturned tables and defunct slot machines.
“Listen carefully,” she commanded through the comm, her voice barely above a whisper. “These men have answers we need. Shoot to disable, not kill. We need tongues that can still talk.”
Through her tactical scope, she watched dark figures slip into the casino’s skeletal remains.
Their movements were practiced, professional—each man checking angles, maintaining formation.
Among them, she spotted three faces she recognized from her intelligence briefings. Crime family lieutenants, all of them. But her target would be the one staying in the shadows, the one bankrolling the Shadow Council.
“Counter-surveillance team sweeping the perimeter,” Angelo’s tense report came through. “They’re thorough—using thermal imaging.”
Celeste’s finger rested lightly on her trigger as she tracked the figures through her scope.
The familiar pre-mission calm settled over her, everything narrowing to this moment, this hunt.
Then the lights died.
Not just the emergency lights they’d rigged, but every source of illumination in the building. The darkness was absolute, suffocating.
“Multiple heat signatures!” Dante’s voice exploded through the comm. “They’re coming through the walls—Christ, they’re everywhere!”
The first burst of gunfire came from behind—exactly where no one should have been.
Celeste rolled instinctively as bullets shredded the wall where her head had been. The muzzle flashes strobed through the darkness, illuminating snapshots of horror.
Her men were being slaughtered.
She dove behind an overturned blackjack table, wood splintering around her as ammunition tore through her cover. The acrid smell of cordite filled the air, mixed with the metallic tang of blood.
“Fall back to secondary positions!” she ordered, but her command was drowned out by screams and automatic fire.
Through the chaos, she could make out the systematic way the attackers were moving—a professional hit team, cutting down her people with military precision.
Her eyes locked on Dante across the casino floor. He was pinned down behind a crumbling pillar, blood visible on his sleeve, returning fire at shadows.
The space between them might as well have been miles, filled with lethal crossfire.
“Dante!” she called out, desperation creeping into her voice. “On my mark—”
The grenade bounced once before rolling to a stop between them.
Time slowed. She saw Dante’s eyes widen in recognition. Saw him start to move.
The explosion lifted her off her feet. Heat and pressure slammed into her body as the world turned to fire and shrapnel.
Her head cracked against something unyielding—maybe a slot machine, maybe a wall. Everything blurred.
Through the ringing in her ears and the smoke in her eyes, she made out dark shapes advancing. Multiple laser sights danced across her body.
This was it. This was how it ended.
Then the west wall exploded inward.
* * *
Across town, Stephan sat in his car, watching Catherine slip into an unmarked building. She’d been careful—taking different routes, switching vehicles, checking for tails.
But she’d forgotten who taught her those tricks in the first place.
“Sir,” Mikey’s voice came through his phone, “you need to hear this.”
“Go ahead.”
“The meeting Catherine’s attending? It’s with Viktor Koslov.”
Stephan’s blood ran cold. “You’re sure?”
“Positive. And there’s more. They’re discussing some kind of operation happening tonight. Something about an ambush…”
“The casino.” Realization hit like a physical blow. “She’s setting up Celeste.”
Inside the casino, Catherine stood before Viktor Koslov and his assembled council. Her heart raced, but her voice remained steady.
“The Beneventi organization will be vulnerable tonight. All their key players in one location.” She smiled, sharp and deadly. “Consider it a gift to seal our new arrangement.”
Koslov studied her, his scarred face unreadable. “And De Luca?”
“Leave him to me.” Catherine’s fingers curled around a flash drive. “This contains everything you need to destroy him legally. Bank records, offshore accounts, evidence of criminal enterprise…”
“You’d betray your own fiancé?”
“He betrayed me first.” The bitterness in her voice was real. “Besides, I’m not just offering you Stephan. I’m offering you both families. The entire territory.”
Koslov’s smile was cold. “Welcome to the Shadow Council, Ms. Durand.”