Chapter 9 - The Ultimatum|
Nico didn't answer right away. He let the silence stretch across the line until Walter's breathing grew heavy and ragged.
"Your house burned down, Walter," Nico said calmly. "You should be worrying about contractors, not phone calls."
"Don't play games with me, boy!" Walter growled through the speaker. "My daughter is dead. My crew found her car two miles from Linden Lane. And your Escalade was seen pulling off my property at seven-fifteen."
"I saved your grandchildren from the fire your men set," Nico said, his voice dropping an octave into pure ice.
"You took what belongs to me!" Walter roared. "Bring the children to the railyard on 14th Street by three in the morning. Bring the nanny too. You do that, and we forget about the marine accounts. You don't... and every Valenti warehouse in Chicago burns before sunrise."
"You're in no position to make threats, old man," Nico said smoothly.
"I have Paulie Rizzo sitting in a chair right across from me, Nico," Walter sneered. "He’s bleeding pretty bad. He tells me you don't have the hard drive yet. You bring the kids, I give you Paulie and the shipping books."
Nico glanced down at the black ledger box sitting on his desk. The hard drive was already sitting safely inside his top drawer.
"Three in the morning," Nico said flatly. "14th Street."
He disconnected the call before Walter could speak another word.
Josie stood up from her chair, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.
"You can't take them there!" she shouted, her voice shaking the quiet office. "He’ll kill them, Nico! He killed his own daughter! He won't let those babies live if they inherit Eleanor’s estate!"
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Nico stood up slowly, reaching into his desk drawer to pull out a heavy silver 9mm handgun.
"I didn't say I was bringing the babies," Nico said softly. "I said I was going to 14th Street."
