Chapter 6 - The Strike at Lake Geneva
The rain returned in full force as midnight approached, lashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Lake Forest mansion.
Sadie sat in the grand library, unable to rest. The house felt unnaturally empty. Dominic had taken thirty heavily armed men with him to Lake Geneva—a coordinated strike designed to crush the Moretti family once and for all.
Mrs. Gable entered the library carrying a tray of chamomile tea. "You should try to sleep, Miss Brooks. Mr. Castile will not return until early morning."
"I can't sleep, Mrs. Gable," Sadie confessed, wrapping her hands around the warm teacup. "What if something goes wrong? Marco Moretti isn't going to surrender quietly."
Mrs. Gable gave a serene, confident smile. "Dominic Castile has not lost a battle since he took control of the family at twenty-two. He is calculated, Miss Brooks. He does not gamble with lives unless the odds are entirely in his favor."
"Still..." Sadie looked toward the window, watching the lightning flash across the dark Chicago skyline. "It's terrifying."
"That is the burden of caring for a man like Dominic," Mrs. Gable said softly, her eyes holding a deep wisdom. "You see the monster the world fears, but you also see the man who would tear down the city to keep you safe."
Sadie remained silent, unable to deny the truth of Mrs. Gable’s words. She did care about him. Somewhere between the gunfire at her apartment and the quiet moment in the kitchen, Dominic Castile had slipped past her defenses.
Meanwhile, forty miles north at a secluded compound on the shores of Lake Geneva, the night erupted into violence.
Silent explosions breached the security gates of the Moretti estate. Dominic’s men swept through the grounds with surgical precision, disabling perimeter guards before they could raise the alarm.
Dominic moved through the main hallway of the estate like a phantom, flanked by Carmine and his top enforcers. Gunfire echoed through the halls as the remaining Moretti loyalists made a desperate stand.
Dominic didn't flinch as bullets splintered the mahogany walls around him. He advanced with cold, terrifying purpose, his weapon raised, clearing room after room until he reached the grand master study at the top of the house.
Carmine kicked the doors open.
Inside, Marco Moretti—a middle-aged man with silver hair and a desperate, frantic look in his eyes—was trying to stuff stacks of bearer bonds into a leather duffel bag. A heavy revolver lay on the desk beside him.
Before Marco could grab the gun, Dominic stepped into the room and fired a single round into Marco’s right shoulder.
Marco screamed, collapsing against the mahogany desk, blood soaking through his designer shirt.
"Dominic..." Marco gasped, clutching his shattered shoulder. "Wait... we can talk... we can share the docks!"
Dominic walked slowly toward the desk, his dark eyes void of any mercy. He lowered his weapon, standing over the man who had tried to burn his mother alive.
"You broke the rule, Marco," Dominic said, his voice terrifyingly quiet. "You went after family."
"It was business!" Marco begged, tears mixing with sweat on his face. "The docks were mine!"
"My mother was not business," Dominic said coldly. "And the innocent woman whose life you tried to destroy in her own home was not business."
Dominic raised his weapon once more.
"Dominic, please!"
A single shot echoed through the Lake Geneva house.
Ten minutes later, Carmine walked out to the waiting SUV where Dominic was wiping his hands with a handkerchief.
"It's done, Boss," Carmine reported. "The Moretti organization is completely dismantled. Their enforcers have surrendered or fled the state. Chicago is clean."
Dominic looked out at the rain-soaked trees, his expression unreadable. "Good. Clear the site. We're going home."
May you like
"To Lake Forest?"
"Yes," Dominic said softly, his thoughts immediately shifting back to the dark-haired woman waiting for him in the library. "She needs to know she's safe."
