All Chapters of RISE OF THE SCORNFUL CRYPTO LORD: Chapter 71
- Chapter 80
121 chapters
71: THE MOLE
Liam's POVThe paranoia started small then spread through the house like poison in the water supply.People stopped talking in groups. Started whispering instead. Eyes followed you when you walked down the hallways. Everyone was watching everyone else trying to figure out who'd sold Tommy out to the Ndrangheta.I couldn't sleep that night because every time I closed my eyes I saw Tommy's face even though I had never met him before. Heard Vincent's voice saying someone inside had betrayed us. By morning I'd made a list of new security protocols that would either catch the traitor or make them too scared to act again.Vincent approved everything without asking questions.First thing I did was confiscate every phone in the house. Every laptop. Every tablet. Anything that could send a message to the outside world went into a locked room with two guards posted at the door. People complained but I didn't care. Someone had used their access to get Tommy killed. That wasn't happening again.N
72: QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUESTIONS
Liam's POVThe photos kept coming. Nathan had more than just the one with that man. He had dozens of them spread across every news channel like he'd been building this case for months.There I was at Uncle Vincent's birthday party six years ago standing next to some guy in a suit. The caption underneath called him Roberto Maldonado. Wanted for racketeering in New Jersey. I didn't even remember meeting him. He was probably just someone's plus one who happened to be in the same photo.Another picture showed me outside a restaurant shaking hands with an older woman. Maria Castellano. Suspected of running an illegal gambling operation in Atlantic City. I'd never heard her name before in my life, Mr. Edwards told me to seal the deal for him since he is out of the country. She could have been anyone. A family friend. Someone's aunt. But Nathan made it look like I was conducting business with known criminals.More photos. More names. More allegations. Each one worse than the last.I stood in
73: AGAIN, AGAIN, AND AGAIN
Liam's POVI said nothing for maybe thirty seconds while Detective Chen waited with her notepad ready. Harris was still watching me like he was trying to see inside my head. The silence stretched out until it felt heavy enough to crush everything around us."I want my lawyer present," I finally said.The look on Chen's face didn't change. "That's your right. But we're just asking preliminary questions right now. You're not under arrest. Not being charged with anything.""Then I don't have to answer anything.""That's true." Harris stepped forward a bit. "But refusing to cooperate makes you look guilty. Makes us wonder what you're trying to hide.""I'm not hiding anything. I'm exercising my right to legal counsel."Vincent moved closer behind me. I could feel him there like a wall at my back. The officers noticed too. Their posture shifted slightly. Hands moving closer to their belts where their weapons sat."We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Chen said. "Easy way is you ans
74: A MOMENT WITH CHARLES
Liam's POVElijah came around and drove me back to the compound but I couldn't stop thinking about what Monroe had said.Charles was behind everything. The investigation. The pressure on Claire. The war with the Ndrangheta. All of it traced back to one man who wanted to see the Rossi family destroyed.But why? What did Charles gain from tearing us apart?I was still trying to figure that out when Elijah's phone rang. He answered it then his face went pale."What?" I asked."That was the station. Charles is there. He's asking to see you."My hands tightened into fists. "Why would he want to see me?""I don't know. But they're saying he has information relevant to your case.""It's a trap.""Probably." Elijah glanced at me. "But if he's willing to talk on record it might help us figure out what he's planning."I thought about that for maybe ten seconds before telling Elijah to turn the car around. If Charles wanted to play games I'd play them. But I'd play to win.The station looked dif
75: UNUSUAL VISIT
Liam's POVElijah drove us away from the police station without saying anything for the first ten minutes. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. I could see him processing everything that had just happened with Charles. Trying to figure out what it meant for him."You realize what you just did back there," he finally said."I bought us time.""You also painted a target on my back." Elijah glanced at me. "I'm the face of Harrington Tech now. Charles is going to come after me thinking I'm the real owner or at least someone who knows who the real owner is."He was right. I'd redirected Charles's attention but that meant Elijah would be in the crosshairs now instead of me. Or maybe in addition to me depending on how paranoid Charles got."I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't think about that part.""Of course you didn't." Elijah let out a long breath. "But I guess it doesn't matter. Charles was probably going to come after me eventually anyway. At least now we know he's coming.""We can
76: SILENT CALLS
Liam's POVWe sat in that storage facility for another hour before I knew what had to be done. The Ndrangheta had shown they could reach us anywhere. Charles had the police in his pocket. The media was destroying Claire's reputation. We were surrounded on all sides with enemies closing in.So we'd hit back and harder before anyone expected it."We need to go back to the safehouse," I told Elijah. "Everyone's still there on lockdown. We regroup. Plan our next move.""The compound?""No. The safehouse on the east side where everyone is currently." I started the car.Elijah nodded then pulled out his phone. "I'll let them know we're coming now."The drive took thirty minutes through empty streets. Most of the city was asleep by now. Just us and a few late night workers heading home.We pulled up at the safehouse and I could see the guards. At least ten of them were stationed around the perimeter. More inside probably. The family was taking security seriously now that people were dying.W
77: THE BETRAYAL CONFIRMED
Liam's POVI stood outside that door for maybe ten seconds trying to process what I'd just heard. Michael was making deals with someone. Planning to deliver me tomorrow during the operation. Every instinct told me to walk away. Get Vincent. Get Torres. Have Michael restrained before he could betray us all.But I needed to hear it from him first. Needed to understand what he thought he was doing.I pushed the door open.Michael spun around with his phone still pressed to his ear. His eyes went wide when he saw me standing there. He ended the call immediately then shoved the phone into his pocket."Liam," he said. "I didn't hear you come up.""Who were you talking to?""Nobody. Just checking in with someone about the warehouse layout.""Don't lie to me." I stepped into the room then closed the door behind me. "I heard what you said. About delivering me tomorrow. About making sure I'm where they need me to be."Michael's face went pale. He opened his mouth then closed it. Then opened it
78: DESPERATE ALLIANCES
Liam's POVI made my decision around noon when most of the family was trying to rest before the operation. Michael would get his chance. One final chance to prove he'd really changed his mind about betraying me. But I wasn't stupid enough to just take his word for it.I found Ashley in one of the upstairs rooms going over maps of the gambling house in Chinatown. She looked up when I walked in."We need to talk," I said."About what?""Michael." I closed the door behind me. "I need you to do something during the operation tonight."Ashley set her papers down. "What kind of something?""Shadow him by staying close to him. I want you to watch everything he does." I kept my voice low so nobody passing in the hallway could hear. "If he makes any moves that look suspicious you stop him. Whatever it takes.""You think he's going to betray us?""I think he might or he might not. Either way I need someone watching him who won't hesitate if things go wrong."Ashley was quiet for a moment. "Why
79: BETRAYAL IN ACTION
Liam's POVThe footsteps were getting closer from every direction. I counted at least twenty men based on the sound echoing through the stairwells or maybe more. We had five people in this room including me.The math wasn't good… "Barricade the door," I said.Dante and another man started pushing a desk toward the entrance. It wouldn't hold long but it might buy us a few seconds. I pulled out my phone to call Torres but there was no signal. They were jamming communications somehow."We're trapped," one of my men said. His name was Rico, a young guy… maybe twenty five. This was probably his first real combat situation."We're not trapped. We're just temporarily contained." I moved back to the window to assess our options. Three stories up. No fire escape on this side. Cars still positioned at every exit below. "Check the other offices. See if there's another way out."Michael was standing near the captives we'd taken. His hand was on his weapon but he wasn't pointing it at anyone. Ju
80: THREATS
Liam's POVI stared at Antonio trying to process what he'd just said. Michael had been feeding information to the Ndrangheta for two years. Long before any of this started. Long before Hargrove died. Long before the war began."Why?" I asked. "Why would Michael betray his own family for that long?"Antonio shifted in his chair. The zip ties around his wrists were cutting into his skin but he didn't seem to care. He wanted to talk. Wanted to trade information for whatever protection he thought I could offer."Michael didn't see it as betrayal," Antonio said. "He saw it as survival. As preparation for when everything fell apart.""That doesn't explain two years of spying.""No. But his history does." Antonio leaned forward as much as the restraints allowed. "Michael didn't grow up like most people in your family. He grew up with someone else. Someone who shaped him into what he became.""Who?""Mr. Ackerman."I remember that name. When I was almost captured, someone called me Mr. Ackerm