THE MAFIA'S KITTEN

EPISODE 10: THE DRAGON’S DEBT

The rain in Oakhaven was turning to ice by the time the roar of engines drowned out the barking of the Night Owl’s dogs. Three matte-black SUVs skidded into the shipyard, tires screaming against the wet pavement. The doors flew open, and a wall of men in tactical gear stepped out, their guns raised toward the shipyard roof where Diana stood.

​In the middle of the chaos, Dante stepped out. He didn’t wear a helmet or a vest. He just stood there in his expensive coat, looking up at the woman who had tried to kill him.

​"Jump," he commanded. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the wind.

​Diana didn't hesitate. She leaped from the edge of the roof, her red dress fluttering like a broken wing. Dante caught her, the impact nearly knocking him down, but he held on tight. He didn't pull away immediately. Instead, his grip lingered on her waist, and he tucked her head into the crook of his neck for a fleeting second, shielding her from the cold as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. He barked an order to his men: "Kill anyone who follows us."

​Back at the "Dragon’s Den," Diana was a prisoner, but the cage was made of silk. Dante had his best doctors treat her wounds personally. He bought her new clothes to replace the rags she had escaped in, and though he still wouldn't let her have a knife, he started leaving his office door unlocked when he was inside. He would find excuses to walk past her room, sometimes stopping just to watch her silhouette through the frosted glass, his hand resting on the doorknob as he struggled with a protectiveness that felt far more dangerous than his usual coldness.

​A few days later, Dante allowed her to leave the house under heavy guard. She ended up at an exclusive underground club, trying to clear her head. While her guards were busy watching the door, a shadow moved into the booth next to her. It was Antonio. He didn't have a gun out. He looked tired, his eyes filled with a sadness she hadn't seen before.

​"You look like you've been eating well," Antonio said softly, looking at her expensive jewelry. He reached out and touched her hand, his gesture more like a father than a boss. "I don't want to kill you, Diana. You know that. I raised you since you were a child. You’re like a daughter to me."

​Diana felt a lump in her throat. "Then why did you vote for my death?"

​"I didn't have a choice. The council is bloodthirsty," he whispered. "But there is a way back. Kill Dante. Do it tonight. Come back to us, and I will make sure the vote is canceled. We can be a family again."

​Diana looked at him, her expression unreadable. "I... I still want to kill him, Antonio. I haven't forgotten my mission. But I'm delaying because I found—"

​She stopped mid-sentence. From the corner of her eye, she saw the silhouette of Dante's bodyguards moving through the neon lights of the club, heading toward her table. Her heart spiked. If they saw her talking to the head of the Night Owl, she was a dead woman.

​"Go," she hissed, giving Antonio a sharp, desperate signal with her eyes to vanish into the shadows. "They're coming. I found something in his files... a document that changes everything, but I can't tell you here. Just go!"

​Antonio melted into the darkness just as the guards reached her. Diana sat back, her face a mask of calm, but her mind was spinning. The secret she had uncovered was too big to say out loud, and for the first time, she wasn't sure if the Night Owl was the side she wanted to be on.

​TBC...