KING OF THE UNDERGROUND CITY

Nina's Request

Dante walked through the tunnels, his mind still reeling from everything he'd learned.

His grandmother was alive. His uncle was alive. The conspiracy stretched back generations. And somewhere, hidden in the shadows, the man who'd betrayed his father was still watching.

He needed to think. He needed to plan. But first, he needed to see Nina.

He found her in the clinic, bent over a patient on the operating table. She was stitching a wound on a young man's arm, her hands steady and sure.

"Don't drip on my floor," she said without looking up.

Dante stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Who is he?"

"One of yours. Took a knife in a fight with Vito's men." Nina tied off the stitch and stepped back. "He'll live. But he needs rest."

She washed her hands in the basin and turned to face Dante. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him.

"You look different," she said. "What happened?"

"I found my uncle."

Nina's hands stilled. "Your uncle? The one who was supposed to be dead?"

"He faked his death. He's been hiding in the tunnels for twenty years." Dante walked to the table and sat down heavily. "And my grandmother is alive too. She's been hiding in a sealed chamber. The fire damaged her lungs."

Nina was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "All these years. All these years they've been down here, and no one knew."

"They didn't want anyone to know. They were protecting themselves. Protecting me." Dante looked up at her. "My father was betrayed, Nina. Someone in his inner circle sold him out to the Carusos. I need to find out who."

Nina's face went pale. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"

"No. But I'm going to find out." Dante stood. "I need to talk to the wounded Caruso captain. The one you asked me to spare."

Nina stiffened. "Why?"

"Because he might know something. He might have information about the betrayal."

"He's a soldier. He doesn't know anything."

"You don't know that." Dante stepped closer. "I need to question him, Nina. I need to find out what he knows."

Nina was silent for a long moment. Then she said, "He's not well enough to be questioned. He needs rest."

"I'll wait."

"Dante—"

"I'll wait," Dante repeated. "But I need to talk to him. I need to find out who betrayed my father."

Nina studied him for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly.

"Tomorrow," she said. "He'll be strong enough to talk tomorrow."

"Thank you."

She reached out and touched his arm. "Dante. Be careful. The Carusos are dangerous. And if someone in your inner circle betrayed your father, they might try to betray you too."

"I know." He covered her hand with his. "I'll be careful."

---

He spent the rest of the day in the Rusty Gate, thinking.

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. The body. The ring. The notes. The watch. The hidden chamber. His grandmother's journal. His uncle's revelation.

But there were still gaps. Still questions without answers.

Who had betrayed his father? Was it Luciano? Was it someone else? And why had his father kept the truth from him?

He thought about Luciano—the man who'd been his mentor, his confidant, his guide. The man who'd lied to him for years.

Was Luciano the traitor? Or was he just a coward, hiding behind his wine and his secrets?

Dante didn't know. But he was going to find out.

---

The next morning, he went to Nina's clinic.

The Caruso captain was awake, propped up on pillows, his face pale but his eyes sharp. He looked up when Dante entered, and something flickered in his gaze—fear, maybe, or resignation.

"You're the Ravello boy," the captain said.

"I'm the King of the Underground City." Dante pulled up a chair and sat down beside the cot. "And I need to ask you some questions."

The captain laughed—a dry, bitter sound. "You think I'm going to tell you anything? I'm a Caruso. I'd rather die than betray my family."

"Your family?" Dante's voice was cold. "The same family that left you to die in a drainpipe? The same family that doesn't care if you live or die?"

The captain's face tightened.

"They left you, didn't they?" Dante leaned forward. "They left you to bleed out in the dark. They didn't come back for you. They don't care about you."

The captain was silent.

"I can help you," Dante said. "I can give you protection. I can give you a new life. All I need is information."

The captain's eyes flickered. "What kind of information?"

"Who betrayed my father? Who sold him out to the Carusos?"

The captain was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "I don't know. I wasn't there. I was just a soldier."

"Who would know?"

The captain hesitated. Then he said, "There's a man. A Caruso. He was close to the Don. He knew everything. He might know who betrayed your father."

"What's his name?"

The captain shook his head. "I can't tell you. He'd kill me."

"He'll kill you anyway if he finds out you talked to me." Dante's voice was hard. "But if you help me, I can protect you. I can keep you safe."

The captain was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "His name is Marco Ricci."

Dante felt a chill run down his spine. Marco Ricci. The arms dealer. The man who was always absent, always neutral, always playing both sides.

"He's a Caruso?" Dante asked.

"Not officially. But he works for them. He's the one who supplies their weapons. He's the one who brokered the deal that killed your father."

Dante's hands tightened into fists. Marco Ricci. The man who'd been feeding him information, playing both sides, pretending to be loyal.

He was the traitor.

"Thank you," Dante said. "I won't forget this."

He stood and walked to the door.

"Ravello," the captain called out. "Be careful. Marco is dangerous. He has friends everywhere. If he finds out you know..."

"He won't." Dante's voice was cold. "I'll make sure of that."

He walked out of the clinic, his mind racing.

Marco Ricci. The arms dealer. The traitor.

He needed to confront him. He needed to find out how deep the betrayal went.

But first, he needed to be sure. He needed proof.

---

He found Aldo in the Rusty Gate, cleaning his shotgun.

"We need to talk," Dante said. "In private."

Aldo looked up, his eyes narrowing. "What's going on, brother?"

"I found out who betrayed my father. It was Marco Ricci."

Aldo's face went pale. "Marco? The arms dealer?"

"He's been working for the Carusos. He brokered the deal that killed my father."

Aldo set down his shotgun, his hands trembling slightly. "Are you sure?"

"The Caruso captain told me. He was there. He knew about the deal."

Aldo was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to confront him. I'm going to find out how deep the betrayal goes."

"Alone?"

"No." Dante's voice was hard. "With you."

Aldo nodded slowly. "When?"

"Tonight. He's got a meeting at the north pier. We'll intercept him."

Aldo studied him for a moment. Then he nodded again. "I'll be ready."

---

Dante walked through the tunnels, preparing for the confrontation.

Marco Ricci. The arms dealer. The man who'd been playing him for years.

He thought about all the times Marco had been absent—the warehouse raid, the pump station attack, the meeting with Vito. Every time something important happened, Marco was never there.

Now he knew why.

Marco was the traitor. Marco was the one who'd been feeding information to the Carusos. Marco was the one who'd killed his father.

He was going to pay.