CHAPTER 43: THE LINE BETWEEN SHADOWS

Chapter 43

JACE MARINO

By the time we reached the new property, the sky had turned that muted grey that never decided whether it wanted to rain or snow. The drive had been long, mostly silent except for the sound of Marco tapping against the steering wheel. We’d taken back roads, switched cars once, and left the last one in a rest-stop lot with the plates wiped clean.

The new safe house sat on a ridge overlooking a half-frozen lake. Smaller, more modern, more glass than wood. Father had bought it years ago under a false name for a mistress. She was long gone; the deed wasn’t. Which meant it was ours now.

When the tires crunched up the gravel drive, I already saw Mateo’s car parked by the side. He was leaning against the hood, hood up, cigarette dangling. He didn’t wave, just lifted his chin slightly as we stopped.

"You made good time," he said when I got out. "I was starting to think the paranoia got you both killed."

"Would’ve been quieter," Marco muttered, brushing past him.

Mateo smirked, then looked at me. "So, this the emergency?"

I didn’t bother explaining right there in the open. We carried the bags inside, swept the house once, then once more. Old habits again. The cameras went up within the hour. Small, discreet and untraceable.

When the work slowed, I told them about the package. I laid the envelope down on the table between us and spread out the photos.

Mateo’s face darkened instantly. "They were tailing him?"

"Not just him," I said. "His friends too."

"Jesus I knew it." He leaned closer, tapping one of the prints. The one where Julian’s hand brushed Luka’s shoulder mid-laugh. "They know who he’s close to. That’s leverage."

"I know," I said.

Marco kicked back in his chair, voice rough. "We’ve already got shadows in the city. But if they’re taking photos this clean, they’re close. Maybe within the campus perimeter."

Mateo looked at me. "You already have a plan."

I nodded once. "I’m assigning extra security details, discreet ones. They’ll blend in, keep eyes on him and his friends from the shadows. No direct contact unless something happens."

"Julian’s gonna hate that," Marco said, tone half amused, half resigned.

"He doesn’t get a vote."

Mateo nodded slowly. "I’ll handle the logistics. You’ve got a crew you trust?"

"Two. Maybe three. None loyal to Father."

"Good," Mateo said. "Because if Father catches even a hint of what you’re doing, he’ll use it."

I met his gaze. "I’m counting on that."

"And more thing" he said

"Aiko’s father isn’t happy," he continued. "He’s been asking questions. Not the usual political kind. He’s moving pieces in Tokyo, London, maybe here too. Someone overheard one of his men saying he’s planning to confront Father directly."

Marco whistled low. "About the marriage?"

Mateo nodded. "The marriage, and maybe more. He’s been keeping tabs on our operations. Imports, docks, offshore accounts all of it. If he thinks the alliance is failing, he’ll burn the bridge before Father can."

The mention of Aiko twisted something inside me. I hadn’t seen her since before the dinner. She’d gone quiet, and quiet in our world never meant peace. "You think he’s behind the package?" I asked.

Mateo tapped the photo with his finger. "It fits. If he wants to weaken Father, leaking a scandal involving his son and a student would do it. It’s a message that he can reach any of us."

Marco leaned against the counter. "So what, the great Yakuza boss has spies in our city now?"

"He’s had them for years," Mateo said. "We just stopped looking."

Silence filled the space again, heavy but alive. Outside, the ice cracked. Inside, I started thinking three moves ahead like Father would.

"How long have you known someone was tailing Julian?" I asked, voice low.

Mateo’s jaw flexed. "A week. Maybe more. I wanted confirmation before sounding the alarm."

"You should’ve told me."

He held my gaze. "And what would you have done, Jace? Run to him? You’d have blown the whole operation. I was trying to find who sent them first."

"You were trying to protect me," I said.

He didn’t deny it. "Both of you."

Marco cut in, restless. "This isn’t just about Aiko’s father. The Serrano boys haven’t checked in for days, and Enzo’s radio is silent. Too quiet. Either they’re scared, or someone told them to stay out of sight."

I rubbed a hand down my face. The lines between families, enemies, allies. They were blurring faster than I could track. If Aiko’s father was turning on us, that meant Father’s empire was already cracked, and everyone was picking which piece to keep when it fell.

"Father’s not going to take this lying down," Mateo said. "He’ll strike first, and he’ll make it look like self-defense."

"That’s what I’m afraid of," I said.

I walked to the kitchen counter, pulled the laptop closer, and started typing. My fingers knew the patterns. Encrypted transfers, offshore reroutes, silent withdrawals. I moved money across ghost accounts Father couldn’t trace. Mateo watched over my shoulder.

"You planning to run?" he asked.

"Planning not to die broke," I said. "And making sure Julian doesn’t either."

Marco came closer, arms crossed. "You think Father would sell us out?"

"He’d sell his shadow if it meant staying in the light," I said. "He won’t go down alone, and he sure as hell won’t go down for me."

The screen reflected back all three of us, different versions of the same bloodline. Marco still had that restless fire that made him dangerous. Mateo had caution built into his bones. I had too much of both.

"You realize," Mateo said slowly, "if Aiko’s father goes public with this, Father will need a scapegoat."

"I know," I said.

"And that scapegoat will be you."

I stopped typing.

The words hung there, quiet but sharp. Marco cursed under his breath. Mateo just looked at me like he already regretted saying it, but we all knew it was true. If the yakuza made this personal and they had the Father’s clean image depended on pinning the dirt somewhere else.

"It’s already in motion," Mateo said. "He’s calling meetings, shifting assets to new names. He’s preparing for something. I’ve seen this before."

"Before Mother," I murmured.

He didn’t answer.

The air tightened. I closed the laptop and pushed it aside. "Then we stay ahead. Keep the funds moving, keep Julian’s trail buried, and make sure no one touches him or his friends."

"I’ll have men in place by morning," Mateo said.

Marco exhaled hard. "You think this is just the yakuza?"

"No," I said. "But they’ll be the first ones to draw blood."

Night settled fast over the lake. The three of us ended up outside on the deck, nursing silence more than coffee. The cold bit through my shirt, but I liked it. It kept me sharp.

"You ever think we’ll get out?" Marco asked, staring at the water.

"Out of what?"

"This." He gestured vaguely. "The constant running. The secrets. Watching everyone like they’re a loaded gun."

Mateo answered for me. "You don’t get out, Marco. You just pick which version of the cage you can live with."

He flicked ash over the railing, and for a second I saw our father’s silhouette in him. The same calm, the same control. It scared me a little.

My phone buzzed once. One of the watchers had already been deployed to Brooklyn. I gave brief instructions. No contact, stay unseen and report every thirty minutes.

Julian would never know, if I could help it. He’d think his world was still normal: classes, friends, laughter. He wouldn’t see the dark glass that now stood between him and the people waiting to use him as a weapon.

"You sure he’s worth all this trouble?" Marco asked, half-smiling but not joking.

I didn’t look at him. "You don’t get to choose who’s worth it."

Mateo said nothing, but I caught the faintest smirk in the reflection of the window. He’d always known me better than anyone else.

Later, when the house had gone quiet, I sat at the desk and reopened the laptop. The accounts were still shifting. I added new locks, backdoors even Father couldn’t hack. Digital ghosts, encrypted names.

"You gonna text him?" Marco asked, sitting down beside me.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Just enough to let him know I’m still breathing."

Mateo gave a low hum, the kind that meant approval without saying it. "My job is done then"he stood up "good night big brother"

"Night" I answered as he left.

And then I wrote a short message.

I hope you’re safe. Don’t open doors you don’t recognize.

The send button glowed faintly in the dark.

I hesitated, then deleted it.