CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR – THE GANG LEADER

Suddenly, a voice cut through the pandemonium, booming and authoritative. "Enough!" The gunfire ceased as abruptly as it had begun, and Jasmine dared to open her eyes. Rico stood before them, his weapon leveled at Gordon's head, his expression twisted into a mask of fury. "Start talkin', pretty boy," he snarled. "Who're you workin' for? The cops? The Feds?" Gordon met Rico's gaze unflinchingly. "We're not with law enforcement. We're private investigators, looking into the disappearance of an art dealer named Sebastian Roth." Rico's brow furrowed, and he exchanged a meaningful glance with his men. "Roth, huh? That little weasel's been tryin' to double-cross us for months. Figures he'd have some hired muscle sniffin' around." Seizing the opportunity, Gordon pressed on. "We know he's been selling off pieces from his collection to pay off debts. We just want to find him and get to the bottom of this mess." Rico considered this for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, h