(VALENTINO'S POV)
The room stays quiet after I drop the bomb. I can practically hear their brains short-circuiting after I said we're gonna rob a bank.
Leo leans back in his chair, rubbing his temples like I've just personally given him a migraine. Alessandra's brows are drawn tight, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Michele is staring at me like I've grown a second head—or maybe sprouted horns.
And Bruno? That crazy bastard's grinning ear to ear like I just told him we were about to hit Disneyland.
Leo breaks the silence first, his voice flat, exhausted. "Val… please tell me you're not serious."
I lean forward, fold my arms on the desk, and look him dead in the eye. "Does it look like I'm joking?"
Bruno chuckles and claps his hands together once. "Finally. It's been too long since we went on a dangerous mission. Let's fuck up the world!"
"Now that's the spirit!" I snap my fingers and point at him like he just won a prize.
Alessandra immediately smacks Bruno across the chest with the back of her hand. "Shut the hell up, Bruno. Don't encourage him." she mutters.
Leo groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Val, please listen to me. Robbing a bank isn't just dangerous, it paints a big fucking target on our backs. And you know the Don won't approve of this."
I push up from my chair so fast it squeals against the floor. "I don't give a flying fuck about what he approves of. I Figli della Vipera (The Sons of The Viper) is my crew. I call the shots!"
That gets a reaction. Michele finally speaks up, his tone sharp. "The danger isn't even the main issue here. The repercussions are. Law enforcement just hijacked a hundred million dollars worth of drugs that belonged to you. They've got you on their radar already."
I jab a finger against the desk. "I don't give two shits. They took one hundred million dollars from me. One way or another, I'm getting that money back, even if it means robbing a goddamn bank."
The silence that follows is heavy. Leo finally exhales, long and tired. "It seems like you've made up your mind."
"Damn right I have."
Alessandra pushes her glasses higher on her nose. "If that's what you really want… then fine. What's the name of the bank we're robbing?"
"Blackstone Capital."
The reaction is instant. Michele stiffens. Alessandra freezes, her eyes widening. Bruno's grin drops. Leo drags his hand down his face like he's aged ten years in ten seconds.
"One of the most secure banks in the United States?" Leo mutters. "Oh God—why Blackstone Capital?"
"Because that bank doesn't just store cash. It holds digital skeletons for every filthy bastard in this country. Account info, offshore laundering routes, illegal transactions. You name it. Every client they've got would rather cut their own dicks off than let that data leak."
Alessandra adjusts her glasses again, stress clear in the twitch of her mouth. "I'm not sure if you know this, but Blackstone Capital is sacred ground for the criminally elite. From mob families to drug lords to corrupt politicians and tax-evading billionaires. It's not just any regular bank, Val—it's a fortress. If we rob it, we won't just make enemies. We'll make enemies we don't even know exist."
"I know," I say, letting my gaze sweep across each of them. "And we're not just taking the cash. We're taking the records too. We'll use them to protect ourselves and to hold leverage over every son of a bitch that tries to come after us."
Michele shakes his head slowly. "Valentino… we could literally choose any other bank. Why this one?"
I smirk, leaning back in my chair. "Because when I sat across from Dmitri, he couldn't shut the fuck up about how much money he was raking in from Europe and South America from his buyers. He bragged about saving it in Blackstone Capital. Said the interest returns made him even richer. So guess what? If we hit Blackstone, we hit him. We bleed him dry."
Alessandra blinks, her tone shifting slightly. "Okay… this changes things I guess."
Leo and Michele exchange a look, then they both turn toward me.
"So this is about damage control and revenge," Michele says carefully.
I nod. "Exactly."
"And a middle finger to the Don?" Leo adds, his voice dry.
I can't help it. I grin, leaning forward with my elbows on the desk. "Triple play, baby."
After the meeting, for the next few days, my crew and I started laying out plans.
Sandra worked her magic and dug up the entire blueprint of Blackstone Capital Bank. Every hallway, every vault, every hidden service exit no one was supposed to know existed.
Michele and Bruno rallied our soldiers, handpicking only the most loyal men and drilling them until they could run the plan blindfolded. All our guns, ammo, combat gear, bulletproof vests were stockpiled and ready.
We even got voice modulators to distort our voices. And for the finishing touch? Hand-crafted black viper masks.
If the world couldn't see our faces, fine. But they'd damn sure know who shook the foundations of Blackstone.
I stood there, watching my crew suit up, and felt the familiar rush flood my veins.
This wasn't just revenge.
This was war.
And when we walked into that fortress, the world would remember one thing.
The Vipers bite hardest when they've been cornered.