Chapter 4 - THE PRICE OF LOYALTY
The tension in the private dining room grew so thick I could practically taste the copper on my tongue. Marco Vance leaned back in his leather chair, enjoying the visible discomfort radiating from every corner of the room.
“Watch your words, Marco,” Dominic warned, his voice devoid of emotion, which somehow made it ten times more terrifying.
“I'm merely stating facts, Dominic,” Marco replied smoothly, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Your sister was seen leaving the underground club on Wabash three nights ago. And she wasn't alone. She was talking to someone from out of town. Someone who doesn't respect the borders of our families.”
My hand instinctively went to my pocket, squeezing Gemma's silver ring. “What out-of-towner?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Marco's gaze shifted slowly toward me, a condescending smile playing on his lips. “Ah, the loyal little sidekick. Tell me, sweet girl, does Dominic know everything about your quiet little life, or are there secrets you keep from your guardian angel?”
Dominic stepped half a step to the side, closing the distance between himself and Marco in a fluid, threatening motion. “If you look at her again, I'll take out your left eye before your guards can clear their holsters.”
The threat hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Marco's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before he raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Relax, Dominic. I'm just playing devil's advocate. But if you want to find your sister, you should look at the financial records of the shipping company she invested in last month. Not all money comes from clean sources, even for a Russo.”
Without another word, Dominic grabbed my elbow, guiding me firmly toward the exit. The cold Chicago air hit my face like a physical blow as we stepped back into the alley and climbed into the waiting SUV.
“Did he lie?” I asked the moment the doors locked.
“ częściowo (partially),” Dominic murmured, staring out the window. “Marco runs the shipping docks on the South Side. If Gemma invested down there, she was looking into something she shouldn't have.”
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“Why would she do that?” I whispered, a cold realization dawning on me. “Unless she was trying to prove something to you.”
Dominic turned his head sharply to look at me, the dark interior concealing everything except the sudden, sharp realization flashing in his eyes.
