Shadows Of Deceipt

Chapter 16

Tonny sat in the dimly lit corner of the upscale bar, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as he watched the door. He had been waiting for this moment, planning it meticulously. The wheels were already in motion, and now it was time to push Anna over the edge. When Anna finally entered, her expression betrayed the weight of the confusion she carried. Tonny smirked to himself—everything was going according to plan. He waved her over, standing as she approached.

“Anna,” Tonny greeted her smoothly, his voice as charming as ever. “I’m glad you came.”

Anna nodded, her face tight with tension. She didn’t trust him, but she was desperate for answers, and Tonny knew it.“What do you want, Tonny?” she asked bluntly, her voice carrying the frustration of someone teetering on the edge of an impossible choice.Tonny’s smile widened.

He gestured to the seat across from him. “I think it’s time you knew Tom more, don’t you? You’ve been digging around, trying to understand the man you’re in love with, but you still haven’t scratched the surface.”

Anna crossed her arms, remaining standing.
“I’m not interested in your mind games. If you have something to say, say it.”

Tonny took a sip of his drink, his eyes glinting with malice. “Oh, I think you’ll want to hear this. You’ve seen the tip of the iceberg, Anna, but Tom… Tom’s more dangerous than you could ever imagine. Do you really think you can change him? That he’s some misunderstood man caught up in bad circumstances?”

Her jaw clenched, but she said nothing, unwilling to admit that Tonny’s words hit too close to home. She did think that—at least, she had tried to convince herself of it.“I can show you the truth,” Tonny continued, leaning forward. “You want to see who Tom really is? I can make that happen.”

Anna hesitated, her heart pounding. “And why would you do that?”

“Because, sweetheart, Tom Delano is a problem. For you, for your father, for me. He’s dangerous, and if you don’t believe me, I’ll give you proof.”

It was late the following night when Anna found herself standing in the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, the eerie glow of streetlights casting long shadows on the cracked pavement. She had told herself she wouldn’t come, that she wouldn’t play into Tonny’s games, but something deep inside her needed to know. She had to see Tom’s world with her own eyes. Tonny had given her a time and place, promising that if she showed up, she would see who Tom truly was. Now, as she stood in the cold, her stomach twisted in knots, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She heard the sound of engines rumbling in the distance, and her heart leapt. A convoy of black SUVs rolled into the lot, headlights cutting through the darkness. Anna ducked behind a stack of crates, her pulse racing. As the cars came to a stop, several men in dark suits emerged, and then—her heart sank—she saw Tom. He stepped out of the lead car, his expression hard, focused. There was no warmth in his eyes, no trace of the man she had fallen for. He was all business, barking orders to the men as they began unloading crates from the back of the trucks. Anna’s hands shook as she watched, her mind screaming that this couldn’t be real. But it was. This was Tom—the real Tom.

“What’s in the crates?” one of the men asked, glancing nervously at Tom.

Tom’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a coldness that sent chills down Anna’s spine. “Don’t ask questions. Just make sure everything gets to the right place.”

Anna’s breath hitched as she watched the men load the crates onto a truck, her mind racing with possibilities. Drugs? Weapons? Whatever it was, it was illegal, and Tom was at the center of it all. Suddenly, one of the men dropped a crate, its contents spilling onto the ground. Anna’s eyes widened in horror as she caught a glimpse of what was inside—guns, dozens of them, gleaming under the moonlight.