Chapter 4 - Shadows in the River North
While the Carter Family Foundation Bistro prepared for its grand opening, a storm was quietly brewing in the dark underbelly of Chicago’s organized crime syndicates.
Vincent Kane’s ruthless dismantling of Richard Sterling’s operation had not gone unnoticed. For years, Sterling had been a silent front-man for a much larger, highly lucrative money-laundering network controlled by the Outfit’s eastern faction—a ruthless syndicate led by an aging mob boss named Salvatore “Sal” Moretti.
Down in a dimly lit cigar lounge in the basement of a shuttered meatpacking plant on the south side, Moretti slammed a heavy glass tumbler against the mahogany table, sending amber whiskey splashing across the felt.
“Kane thinks he can just rewrite the territory maps because a little girl handed him a crayon drawing?” Moretti roared, his face purple with rage. “Sterling was moving four million a quarter through those restaurant accounts! And now he’s sitting in a federal holding cell because Kane decided to play white-knight for a dishwasher?”
Across the table sat Dante Moretti, Sal’s ruthless, hot-headed grandson and heir apparent. Dante leaned back, spinning a silver switchblade between his fingers with practiced ease.
“Grandpa, Kane’s getting soft,” Dante sneered, his eyes gleaming with ambition and malice. “He spends half his time managing legitimate real estate trusts and funding community projects now. He’s losing his edge. If we hit the Carter woman’s new bistro on opening night—burn it to the ground while the city’s elite are eating—Kane will look weak. The other families will rally behind us.”
May you like
Sal Moretti narrowed his eyes, stroking his white beard thoughtfully. “Kane doesn't miss, Dante. You cross him, you better be ready to bury the body yourself.”
“I’m ready,” Dante hissed, snapping the switchblade shut with a sharp click. “Let’s see how much the great Vincent Kane cares about a dishwasher when her precious restaurant goes up in smoke.”
