Chapter 5 - The Shadow Over The Moretti Empire
A Threat Lurking In The DarkBy the time dinner concluded, the rain had subsided into a misty drizzle, and Lily had fallen soundly asleep against my shoulder, her small, even breathing warming the damp fabric of my scrubs.
Dominic signaled for the check, though I knew he didn't pay for meals at Beluchi’s—he probably owned the building, the block, and possibly the street. He slid out of the booth and reached over, gently taking Lily from my arms with a surprising, practiced gentleness.
"I've got her," he murmured, adjusting her red coat so she wouldn't catch a chill.
My arms felt strangely empty without her weight, but my body was so exhausted I couldn't protest. We walked out of the restaurant and into a sleek, bulletproof black SUV waiting curbside. A hulking man in a custom-tailored suit—whom Dominic addressed as Dante—was holding the door open.
"Take us to 84th Street," Dominic instructed Dante as he slid into the back seat, settling Lily carefully across his lap. She burrowed instinctively against his broad chest, wrapping her arms around his lapel.
I sat beside them, watching the neon lights of Manhattan streak across the tinted windows. The silence inside the car was thick, punctuated only by the low hum of the engine.
"You live in a dangerous world, Dominic," I said softly, breaking the silence as we turned onto my street. "Why get involved with an ER nurse and her kid? People like you... you have enemies. People who look for leverage."
Dominic’s expression darkened instantly, the temperature in the car dropping several degrees.
"You think I brought you into my orbit by accident?" Dominic asked, his voice chillingly quiet.
I froze. "What do you mean?"
Before Dominic could answer, Dante slammed on the brakes. The SUV lurched violently to a halt twenty yards from my apartment building.
In front of our building stood three men in dark hoodies, jimmying the front door lock with a heavy crowbar.
My heart leapt into my throat. "Oh god. They're breaking in—"
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Dominic didn't panic. He didn't even raise his voice. He simply looked at Dante in the front seat.
"Clean it up," Dominic commanded. "And don't wake the little girl."
