Chapter 7 - The Mark of Protection
Anna felt a wave of panic wash over her, but the months of running her own business and standing on her own two feet had forged a strength inside her she didn't know she possessed.
She remembered Matteo’s warning. She remembered the silver medal.
Slowly, without breaking eye contact with Gianni, Anna reached into her apron pocket. Her fingers closed around the cold, heavy sterling silver crest.
"I don't pay protection money, Gianni," Anna said, her voice remarkable steady. "And you are standing in the wrong diner."
Gianni laughed, a sharp, barking sound. The two men behind him stepped forward, one of them pulling a heavy brass knuckle duster from his pocket.
"You think you have a choice, little girl?" Gianni growled, reaching across the counter to grab her by the collar. "You're going to pay, or we're going to tear this place apart piece by piece starting with your—"
Anna pulled her hand out of her pocket and slammed the silver medal flat against the counter, right under Gianni’s nose.
The silver crest gleamed under the bright fluorescent lights. The crowned lion holding a dagger above three stars was unmistakable.
Gianni’s hand froze mid-air. His eyes widened, staring at the silver coin like it was a live grenade.
The two men behind him gasped, instinctively taking a step back toward the door.
"Where... where did you get that?" Gianni stammered, his raspy voice suddenly trembling. "That's... that's the personal seal of Don Marco Rossi. The founder's crest."
"Nonna Maria gave it to me herself," Anna said, leaning forward, her eyes blazing with absolute fearlessness. "She told me that as long as I carry this, anyone who threatens me answers directly to her son, Matteo."
Gianni swallowed hard, the color draining completely from his face. The Moretti family was powerful, but they were no match for the full, terrifying wrath of the Rossi syndicate. Touching a person who held the Don’s personal seal of protection was a guaranteed death sentence.
"We... we didn't know," Gianni stammered, backing away from the counter, holding his hands up in surrender. "We were just... checking the neighborhood. No disrespect intended, Miss Bennett."
"Get out," Anna commanded pointing toward the door. "And if I see your car on this street again, I won't show you the medal. I’ll call Matteo."
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Gianni and his two henchmen practically tripped over themselves trying to get through the front door, slamming it behind them as they scrambled into their sedan and tore down the street into the dark.
Anna leaned against the counter, her whole body shaking violently as the adrenaline finally left her system. She picked up the silver medal and held it tightly against her heart, whispering a silent thank you to the old woman who had walked into her diner on a rainy afternoon.
