~Salvatore's POV
The ride was quiet. Not the kind of quiet that felt empty, but the kind that carried weight, where nothing needed to be said because everything was already understood.
Matteo drove without distraction, his hands steady on the wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, while I sat at the back, my gaze resting on nothing in particular as my mind moved through a hundred things at once.
By the time the car slowed, the air had already changed. You could feel it before you even stepped out. It was dark and controlled.
The kind of place where mistakes were not forgiven.
Matteo parked and stepped out first, walking around to open my door without a word. I stepped out calmly, adjusting my coat slightly as my eyes scanned the area, taking everything in the way I always did.
My men were already there, waiting and watching.
The moment they saw me, they straightened.
"Boss."
Their voices came out low, respectful, and almost at once, their heads dipped slightly.
