The Lies That Binds

Chapter 175

The dimly lit restaurant reeked of cigars and wealth, a luxurious front for the ruthless dealings that happened in its private rooms. Piper stepped inside, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Her expression was cold, her body brimming with barely contained fury.

Salvatore Moretti’s betrayal had been a knife to the back—and she was here to twist it back into him.

Gabriel followed closely, his presence a wall of silent strength at her side. Jasper had insisted on being here as well, his sharp wit and street-savvy instincts invaluable for what lay ahead.

The maître d’ gave them a cautious nod before gesturing toward the back, where a heavy oak door awaited. Piper adjusted her coat, stealing a glance at Gabriel.

“Stay sharp,” she said, her voice low.

He gave a single nod. “Always.”

Behind the door sat Salvatore, his tailored suit impeccable as always. He leaned back in his chair, a glass of red wine in hand. His sharp, calculating eyes swept over Piper as she entered, his lips curling into a faint smile.

“Well, well,” he said, his voice smooth and dripping with mockery. “Piper Blackwood, in the flesh. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Piper didn’t sit, her posture rigid as she faced him. “Cut the act, Salvatore. You sent a sniper to my home. I want to know why.”

Salvatore raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of feigned surprise and amusement. “Sniper? My dear, you must be mistaken. I’d never resort to such crude measures.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Piper snapped, her voice sharp enough to slice through the tension in the room. “We know it was you. I just want to know why.”

Gabriel stepped forward, his imposing presence wiping the smirk from Salvatore’s face. “You’re already exposed, Moretti. Lying won’t help you now.”

Salvatore sighed, setting his glass down with deliberate care. “Fine. You want the truth? You’ve become a liability, Piper. Your little empire is encroaching on territory that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Territory?” Piper repeated, her eyes narrowing. “I’ve honored every deal we’ve made. I’ve stayed out of your way.”

“For now,” Salvatore said with a shrug. “But you’re expanding. Growing stronger. And that makes people nervous.”

“This isn’t about territory,” Jasper cut in, his voice laced with disdain. “It’s about control. You don’t like that Piper’s not bending to you, so you decided to take her out before she becomes untouchable.”

Salvatore leaned forward, his smirk returning. “Clever boy. But this isn’t just about me. You’ve upset other players in this game, Piper. Bigger players. I’m just the one holding the knife.”

Piper’s stomach churned, but she refused to let her fear show. “Who else is involved?”

Salvatore chuckled. “Do you really think I’d give you their names? Come on, Piper. You’re smarter than that.”

“You’ll give me what I want,” Piper said, her voice low and dangerous. “Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure your empire crumbles before your eyes.”

Salvatore’s amusement faltered, his gaze hardening. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Blackwood.”

“No,” she said, stepping closer. “You are.”

The negotiation dragged on, each word a careful balancing act between provocation and persuasion. Gabriel stood silently behind Piper, his presence a reminder of the muscle backing her words. Jasper chimed in occasionally, his sharp tongue cutting through Salvatore’s attempts at deflection.

Eventually, the tension broke.

“All right,” Salvatore said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “You want answers? Here’s one for free. There’s a faction within my own ranks that thinks I’ve gone soft. They wanted me to take you out to prove my loyalty.”

“Loyalty to whom?” Piper demanded.

“Let’s just say the Moretti name doesn’t hold the weight it used to,” Salvatore admitted, his tone bitter. “I’ve made some alliances to keep things running smoothly. Not everyone agrees with my methods.”

“And you thought killing me would solve that?” Piper asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

“It wasn’t my first choice,” Salvatore said with a shrug. “But when the pressure’s on, you do what you have to do.”

“You underestimated me,” Piper said, her eyes blazing. “That was your mistake.”

Salvatore’s lips thinned. “Maybe. But now you’re in deeper than you realize. The people I’m answering to—they’re not going to stop just because you’ve survived a few close calls.”

“Then you’ll help me stop them,” Piper said, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Salvatore’s laugh was bitter. “And why would I do that?”

“Because if you don’t,” Gabriel said, his voice like steel, “you won’t have a business left to protect.”

Piper leaned forward, her voice cold. “You’ve already proven your loyalty to them by coming after me. Now prove you’re not completely disposable. Work with me, and maybe we can both come out of this alive.”

Salvatore studied her for a long moment, the tension in the room thick enough to choke. Finally, he nodded.

“All right, Piper. You’ve got a deal.”

The drive back to the house was silent, the weight of the evening settling over the group like a shroud. Piper stared out the window, her mind racing as she replayed every word of the negotiation.

Salvatore had given them names—shadowy figures who operated behind the scenes, pulling strings and orchestrating chaos. She didn’t trust him, but the information was too valuable to ignore.

“We need to move fast,” Gabriel said, breaking the silence. “If Salvatore’s right, these people won’t wait for us to make the first move.”

Piper nodded. “We’ll hit them before they hit us.”

Back at the house, the team regrouped in the command room. Noah, now fully alert, worked to cross-reference the names Salvatore had provided with their existing intelligence. Jasper paced the room, his frustration barely contained.

“This isn’t just about you anymore, Piper,” he said. “These people are coming after everything you’ve built. If we don’t shut them down, they’ll take it all.”

“I know,” Piper said, her voice calm but resolute. “And we’re not going to let that happen.”

Gabriel leaned over Noah’s shoulder, studying the screen. “We’ve got addresses, meeting points, and known associates. It’s enough to start making moves.”

“We need to be smart about this,” Piper said. “No half-measures. If we go after them, we go all the way.”

Jasper smirked. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

As they stood in the quiet, a sharp ping sounded from Noah’s laptop inside, breaking the stillness like a gunshot.

Piper and Gabriel exchanged a glance before rushing back inside, where Jasper and Noah were hunched over the screen.

“What is it?” Piper asked, her voice tight.

Noah turned the laptop toward her, his face pale. The screen displayed a live feed of one of her warehouses, its interior ablaze with fire, black smoke billowing toward the sky.

A text message buzzed on her phone. Piper read it silently, her blood running cold:

“This is just the beginning. Walk away, or watch everything burn.”

The room seemed to constrict around her as the gravity of the situation hit. Piper looked up, her jaw set, her fury boiling just below the surface.

“They want a war?” she said, her voice low and steely. “They just got one.”

________________