Chapter 2 - Into the Lion’s Den
The ride through the freezing Chicago night was silent, save for the hum of the luxury sedan’s climate control and the steady swish of windshield wipers clearing away the sleet.
Sadie sat pressed against the opposite door, her injured hands tucked deep into the pockets of her worn coat. Dominic Castile sat beside her like a statue carved from midnight, watching her with unblinking intensity. Every time she glanced his way, his eyes were already locked on hers, pinning her in place like a butterfly under glass.
“Where are you taking me?” she finally broke the silence, her voice raspy.
“Somewhere secure,” Dominic replied without looking away from the dark windows. “The men who set that fire are looking for loose ends. You pulled my mother out. That makes you the loosest end in the city.”
“I don’t care about your war,” Sadie said bitterly, anger flaring through her fatigue. “I don’t care about rival families, or docks, or whatever turf you’re fighting over. I just want to go back to my life.”
“The life where you can’t afford rent, can’t pay for medical care, and are one bad shift away from sleeping on this pavement?” Dominic turned his head, his gaze piercing. “That life is over the moment the Morettis realize you’re the one who saved Rosa Castile.”
Sadie shrank back slightly against the leather upholstery. The cold logic in his words terrified her more than his threats. She knew he was right. The moment she smelled that acrid smoke, her ordinary, miserable existence had shattered beyond repair.
The car turned sharply, passing through a pair of towering wrought-iron gates guarded by men holding submachine guns. They drove up a winding, private driveway surrounded by manicured pines before pulling up to a sprawling, limestone estate that looked more like a European fortress than a home.
As the car stopped, Dominic’s primary enforcer, Carmine, opened the door.
“Get her settled in the east wing,” Dominic instructed, stepping out into the rain. He looked back at Sadie, who remained frozen in the seat. “And get a doctor to look at those hands. Immediately.”
“I don’t need charity,” Sadie snapped, refusing to budge.
Dominic leaned into the doorway, his face inches from hers. The scent of expensive cologne, rain, and clean leather washed over her. “It’s not charity, Miss Brooks. It’s asset management. And right now, you are the most valuable asset I have.”
Before she could think of a retort, Carmine gently but firmly assisted her out of the vehicle and guided her past the towering oak doors of the mansion.
The interior was a study in cold, forbidding wealth—polished marble floors, high vaulted ceilings, and dark wood paneling lit by amber wall sconces. Sadie was led down a wide corridor lined with heavy oil paintings of men who looked as severe and unyielding as Dominic.
They stopped before a double door. Carmine pushed it open to reveal a bedroom larger than Sadie’s entire apartment, complete with a king-sized bed, a roaring fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the storm-swept grounds.
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“A physician will be here in ten minutes,” Carmine said, his tone surprisingly neutral. “Don’t try to leave, Miss Brooks. The gates are locked, and the perimeter is monitored.”
The heavy door clicked shut, leaving Sadie alone in the opulent cage.
