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“Last chance. Who sent you?” I snarled while Tony gripped his long hair in his fingers. The man grimaced and I pressed the blade against his throat just hard enough to draw a single drop of blood.
There was a moment of silence, the only sound the man’s labored breathing. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Ricci. It was Ricci.”
“Why were you sent here?” I demanded.
The intruder hesitated, and Tony twisted his hair harder, eliciting a cry of pain from the man. I cocked my head and stared into his eyes.
Eyes were always so expressive.
The man’s brown eyes, once defiant and calculating, now flickered with raw fear. His pupils dilated, the whites of his eyes stark against the darkness. Sweat beaded on his brow, his breath coming in shallow, rapid gasps. He was terrified.
I’d missed this.
“Tell him!” Tony demanded.
“I was supposed to plant evidence,” the man said, his voice breaking. “To frame you. Make it look like you were running guns to North Korea.”
I glanced at Tony, our suspicions confirmed. “And your name?” I demanded.
The intruder looked up at me, defeat in his eyes. “Luca Moretti,” he said. “But most people know me as the Phantom.”
“What kind of evidence were you going to plant?” I demanded, my voice cold and unyielding.
Luca swallowed hard, his gaze darting nervously between Tony and me.
“Ricci wanted it to look like you were involved in arms trafficking,” he admitted, his voice shaky. “We were going to plant documents, forged contracts, and manifests showing shipments of weapons. There were also going to be photos of supposed deals with North Korean operatives.”
I clenched my fists, rage boiling inside me. “And where were you going to plant this evidence?”
“In your office, your restaurant, and your home,” Luca continued, the words spilling out in a rush. “We had a whole plan. We were going to make it look like you were the mastermind behind an international arms trafficking ring. The evidence would have been undeniable. Ricci made sure it was enough to put you away for life.”
Tony’s grip tightened, and he delivered another punch to Luca’s gut, causing him to double over in pain.
Luca gasped for breath, his fear now fully evident. “Please,” he begged. “I was just following orders. Ricci threatened my family. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice,” I said coldly, stepping closer.
Luca’s eyes filled with desperation.
“I’ll do anything,” he pleaded. “Just don’t kill me. I can help you. I know things about Ricci’s operations, things that could bring him down.”
I exchanged a glance with Tony, considering Luca’s offer. “Talk,” I said finally. “And make it good.”
Luca nodded frantically, the fear in his eyes mingling with a glimmer of hope.
“Ricci’s been expanding his operations,” he began. “He’s got ties to corrupt officials in several countries, and he’s been using them to smuggle weapons and drugs. He’s planning something big, something that could shift the balance of power in his favor. But I know where he keeps his records, his safehouses, his most trusted men. I can give you everything you need to take him down.”
I stared at him, weighing the sincerity of his words. “If you’re lying, you’ll wish Tony had killed you tonight,” I warned.
“I’m not lying,” Luca insisted. “I’ll prove it. Just give me a chance.”
I nodded slowly. “Fine. We’ll see if you’re telling the truth. But know this, Luca—you betray me and there will be no mercy.”
Tony released his grip slightly, allowing Luca to breathe more easily.
“We’ll keep him under watch,” Tony said, his voice hard. “And if he tries anything, we’ll deal with him.”
