Chapter 5 - The Web Tightens
Back in the sunlit study, the weight of the morning hit me.
"Why give Richard to the police?" I asked, pacing across the Persian rug. "Isn't the mafia supposed to bury its enemies in concrete?"
"Fiction writers write about concrete," Dominic answered, pouring two glasses of sparkling mineral water. "In reality, a homicide investigation backed by my legal team ties Lorenzo’s hands. If Lorenzo tries to make a move on me while the district attorney is examining his financial links to Richard, he invites federal RICO indictments down on his own head. It buys us time."
"Time for what?"
"To dismantle him completely." Dominic handed me a glass. His hand brushed mine, and a sudden, sharp jolt of electricity rushed up my arm. He held my gaze for a moment longer than necessary. "And to keep you alive while I do it."
"I can't stay hidden in this castle forever, Dominic," I said softly, looking out the massive window at the grey Atlantic swells. "I'm a waitress from Southie. I had an ordinary life. I had plans—small plans, but mine. I wanted to open a community bakery. I wanted to pay off my mom’s debts and breathe without panic."
Dominic moved closer, stopping just behind my right shoulder. The scent of clean cedar and expensive tobacco clung to him.
"Your life before this wasn't ordinary, Chloe. You were drowning, and no one reached out a hand. When you saw me dying, you jumped into the current without checking how deep it was." His voice softened, dropping into an intimate register. "People like you don't exist in my world. Everyone here has a price, a leverage point, an angle. You had nothing, yet you gave everything."
Before I could answer, the study door clicked open.
A tall, elegant man with slicked-back blonde hair and a bespoke double-breasted suit strode into the room without knocking. He had high cheekbones and a wide, predatory grin that didn't reach his hazel eyes.
Lorenzo Romano.
"Cousin!" Lorenzo boomed, arms spread wide as if greeting an old friend. "I heard rumors about a shooting in South Boston last night. When your private security vanished from the precinct, I feared the worst!"
Lorenzo's gaze slid past Dominic, locking directly onto me. A cruel, amused glint flashed in his eyes.
"And who is this exquisite creature hiding behind your defenses?" Lorenzo purred. "Don't tell me this is the little hero from the restaurant."
The air in the room dropped ten degrees. Dominic didn't step back; he stepped slightly to the side, positioning his shoulder between me and his cousin.
"She has a name, Lorenzo," Dominic said, every syllable laced with lethal quiet. "And you will address her with respect in my house."
Lorenzo chuckled, adjusting his diamond-encrusted cufflinks. "Of course. My apologies. Miss Henderson, isn't it? The brave savior of Boston's undisputed king." Lorenzo stepped closer, his smile vanishing, replaced by a snake-like chill. "You should be careful, little girl. In this city, saving the wrong man makes you a great deal of very dangerous enemies."
"She didn't save the wrong man," I found myself saying, my voice remarkably clear, my spine stiffening. "She saved the one who isn't a coward hiding behind poisoned decanters."
Lorenzo’s jaw twitched. The venom behind his smile was unmistakable now.
Dominic's hand drifted casually toward his jacket lapel. "You have five seconds to leave my estate, Lorenzo. Before I decide the RICO statutes aren't worth the trouble of letting you walk out the front gate."
Lorenzo held his hands up in mock surrender. "Temper, Dominic. The quarterly syndicate gala is tomorrow night at the Boston Harbor Hotel. All five families will be in attendance. As chairman, you are expected to preside. Unless... your health is still compromised?"
"I will be there," Dominic stated.
May you like
"Splendid," Lorenzo sneered, turning his eyes back to me. "Bring your charming little shield, cousin. Let’s see how long she survives among the lions."
***
