Deadly Devotion

Chapter Twenty: The Final Blow

Two weeks after the attack, life started feeling almost normal again.

The Castellano family backed off completely. Two of their men were in jail. The rest scattered. Their territory was split between the remaining families in New York. The DeLucas took the biggest share.

Dante's plan had worked. Sort of. Not the way he'd intended. But the result was the same. They'd won without losing anyone.

Marco's shoulder was healing. He wore the injury like a badge of honor. Told everyone how he'd taken a bullet for his brother.

The relationship between them had changed. Become stronger. They weren't just brothers anymore. They were real partners.

And Dante had kept his promise to go legitimate. Slowly but steadily, he was moving the family businesses into legal territory. It would take years. But he was doing it.

As for us, we were planning a wedding.

Nothing huge. Just family and close friends. Probably at the cottage. The place where we'd been happiest.

Isabella was thrilled. She'd started planning immediately. Calling venues. Looking at flowers. Acting like a real mother-in-law.

Even Salvatore seemed pleased. He'd stopped testing me. Stopped watching me like I might betray them at any moment.

I was family now. Really family.

Which made what happened next so much worse.

I was at the gallery on a Tuesday afternoon when two men in suits walked in.

Not FBI. I could tell immediately. These were different. Federal prosecutors.

"Mia Santos?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Assistant US Attorney David Chen. This is my colleague Sarah Martinez. We need you to come with us."

My heart started racing. "Am I under arrest?"

"Not yet. But we have some questions. You can come voluntarily or we can get a warrant. Your choice."

I looked around the gallery. At the beautiful space Dante and I had built together.

"Let me call my lawyer."

"You can call him from our office. Let's go."

I didn't have a choice. I went.

They took me to the federal building downtown. Put me in an interview room. Hard chairs. Metal table. One-way mirror.

This was serious.

Michael Barrett showed up thirty minutes later looking concerned.

"What's this about?" he asked the prosecutors.

"We're charging Ms. Santos with conspiracy. Obstruction of justice. And providing material support to a criminal organization."

My stomach dropped. "What?"

"We have evidence that you warned the DeLuca family about a pending attack. Using information obtained from an FBI source. That's conspiracy. You also destroyed evidence in a federal investigation. That's obstruction. And you've been providing intelligence and support to a known criminal organization. That's material support."

"She was fired from the FBI when the alleged destruction occurred," Michael said. "She had no legal obligation..."

"She had a legal obligation not to help criminals commit crimes. And that's exactly what she did." David Chen pulled out a file. "We have phone records. We know she called her former handler Chen the day before the attack. We know she received information about the planned hit. And we know she immediately contacted Dante DeLuca to warn him."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"We've been monitoring Dante DeLuca's phone. We heard the whole conversation."

They'd been listening. To all of it. Every call. Every conversation.

Which meant they'd heard us talking about love. About getting married. About everything.

"You can't use that," Michael said. "That's an illegal wiretap."

"It's perfectly legal. We have a warrant. Dante DeLuca is under investigation for racketeering. We're authorized to monitor his communications."

"This is selective prosecution. You're targeting my client because of who she's in a relationship with."

"We're targeting your client because she broke the law. Multiple laws." Sarah Martinez leaned forward. "Ms. Santos, you were an FBI agent. You took an oath. And you violated that oath to help a criminal. That's unacceptable."

"I was protecting innocent people. The Castellanos were planning to kill Dante's whole family."

"You were helping a mob family prepare for a gang war. Two men died that night. Two more are in the hospital. You helped make that happen."

"I tried to prevent it from happening!"

"By warning the criminals so they could defend themselves. That's conspiracy, Ms. Santos. You conspired with a criminal organization."

Michael put his hand on my arm. Signaling me to stop talking.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"We want her cooperation. Full cooperation. She testifies against Dante DeLuca and the entire family. Tells us everything she knows about their operations. Helps us build a RICO case. In exchange, we'll reduce the charges."

"Absolutely not," I said immediately.

"Then you go to prison. Five to ten years minimum. Federal prison. And when you get out, you'll be a convicted felon. No job prospects. No future. Nothing."

"I'm not testifying against Dante."

"Even if it means your freedom?"

"Even then."

David Chen sat back. "You're really willing to throw your life away for a mobster?"

"I'm willing to not betray the man I love. Yes."

"That's pathetic."

"That's loyalty. Something you wouldn't understand."

Sarah Martinez spoke up. "What if we offered full immunity? No charges at all. Clean slate. You just have to cooperate."

"No."

"Think about this carefully, Ms. Santos. You're young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it protecting criminals."

"I'm not protecting criminals. I'm protecting my family."

"They're not your family. They're a criminal organization."

"They're both. And I choose them over you."

Michael stood up. "This interview is over. Either charge my client or let her go."

David Chen stood too. "Fine. Mia Santos, you're under arrest for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and providing material support to a criminal organization."

He pulled out handcuffs.

Michael held up his hand. "That's not necessary. She'll surrender voluntarily."

"I don't think so. She's a flight risk. She has connections to organized crime. Cuff her."

They made me stand. Put my hands behind my back. Snapped the metal cuffs on my wrists.

This was really happening. I was being arrested. Going to jail.

"I need to call someone," I said.

"You can call from holding."

They led me out of the interview room. Through the building. Other people staring. Knowing I'd been arrested.

In holding, they took my phone. My keys. Everything.

Put me in a cell with three other women. All of us waiting for processing.

I sat on the metal bench and tried to breathe.

Tried not to panic.

Tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

They let me make a call two hours later.

I called Dante.

He answered immediately. "Mia? Where are you? You never came home."

"I've been arrested. Federal charges. I'm at the federal holding facility."

Silence. Then, "What are the charges?"

"Conspiracy. Obstruction. Material support to a criminal organization. They know I warned you about the Castellano attack. They want me to testify against you and your family."

"f**k. Okay. I'm calling Michael. We'll get you out."

"Dante, they're serious. They have evidence. Phone records. They were listening to your calls. They heard everything."

"I don't care. We'll fight this."

"What if we can't win? What if I go to prison?"

"Then I'll wait for you. However long it takes."

"That could be years."

"I don't care. You're worth waiting for."

Tears filled my eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too. Don't say anything to anyone. Don't answer any questions. Michael will be there as soon as possible."

"Okay."

"And Mia? You're not alone in this. You understand? Whatever happens, you're not alone."

"I know."

They made me hang up. Took me back to the cell.

I sat on the bench and waited.

For Michael. For bail. For some way out of this nightmare.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

This was it. The final consequence of all my choices.

I'd chosen love over duty. Dante over the law. Family over country.

And now I was paying the price.

Michael got me out on bail six hours later.

Two hundred thousand dollars. Dante paid it immediately.

I walked out of holding exhausted and scared and angry.

Dante was waiting outside. He pulled me into his arms the second he saw me.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so f*****g sorry."

"This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is. You're in this mess because of me. Because you loved me enough to protect my family."

"I'd do it again."

"I know. That's what kills me." He pulled back to look at me. "Michael says the case is strong. They have evidence. Phone records. Your confession in the interview room before he got there."

"So I'm going to prison."

"Not if I can help it. We'll fight this. Appeal. Find some way to win."

"Dante, be realistic. I broke the law. Multiple laws. There's no getting around that."

"Then I'll break you out. I'll help you run. We'll disappear together."

"You can't do that. You have responsibilities. Your family. The businesses. You can't just run."

"Watch me. I'm not losing you."

"You might not have a choice."

He cupped my face. "Listen to me. I will do whatever it takes to keep you out of prison. Legal or illegal. I don't care. You're mine. And I protect what's mine."

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of. You destroying yourself to save me."

"Then we'll be destroyed together. I don't care anymore. I just want to be with you."

We stood on the street outside the federal building holding each other while people walked past.

Two people who'd broken every rule to be together.

Two people who were about to pay for it.

Back at Dante's apartment, the whole family was waiting.

Salvatore. Isabella. Marco. Even Uncle Tony.

They all looked at me when we walked in.

"Is it true?" Salvatore asked. "They arrested you for warning us about the Castellanos?"

"Yes."

"And they want you to testify against us?"

"Yes."

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing. I refused to cooperate."

He studied me for a long moment. Then nodded. "You have more loyalty than most people born into this family. That means something."

"It might mean I go to prison."

"Then we make sure that doesn't happen." He looked at Dante. "What are our options?"

"Legal options? Not many. They have her dead to rights. She admitted to warning us. The phone records prove it."

"What about illegal options?"

"Dad, no," Marco said. "We can't get involved in witness tampering. That'll make everything worse."

"I'm not talking about tampering. I'm talking about making this case disappear." Salvatore looked at Uncle Tony. "You still have contacts in the federal system?"

"A few. But they won't touch something this high profile."

"Then we find other ways. Money. Pressure. Whatever it takes."

"Salvatore, stop," Isabella said firmly. "You're not bribing federal prosecutors. That's insane."

"What's insane is letting the woman my son loves go to prison because she protected us."

"I appreciate that," I said. "But I don't want anyone breaking more laws because of me. I made my choice. I'll face the consequences."

"Unacceptable," Dante said. "You're not going to prison."

"I might not have a choice."

"There's always a choice."

I looked at his face. At the determination in his eyes.

He was serious. He'd actually break the law. Risk everything. Destroy his relationship with the federal government. All to save me.

That's when I realized the truth.

If I stayed, if I let him try to save me, he'd end up in prison right beside me.

The feds were watching him. Listening to his calls. Building a case.

If he interfered with my prosecution, they'd use it against him. Add charges. Lock him up.

I couldn't let that happen.

Which meant I had only one option.

"I need some air," I said. "I'm going to the bedroom."

Dante started to follow me.

"Alone. Please. Just give me a few minutes."

He looked concerned but nodded. "Okay. Take all the time you need."

I went to the bedroom. Closed the door.

Sat on the edge of the bed and made a decision.

I was leaving. Tonight. Before Dante could do something stupid to try to save me.

I'd disappear. Run. Force them to try me in absentia.

Dante would be furious. Would probably never forgive me.

But he'd be free. Safe. Able to live his life without me dragging him down.

It was the only way to protect him.

Even if it broke both our hearts.

I pulled out my phone. Started making arrangements.

This was it. The end.

I'd chosen love. Fought for it. Died for it.

And now I had to walk away from it.

To save the man I loved.

Even if it destroyed me.