Chapter 8 - The Storm Before The Dawn
Betrayal Within The SyndicateFor three days, we lived inside the Moretti fortress. Lily treated the penthouse like an upscale playground, completely enchanted by Dante, who turned out to be surprisingly good at braiding hair and building Lego castles. Dominic was attentive, protective, and terrifyingly domestic—cooking breakfast in a tailored shirt with his sleeves rolled up, reading bedtime stories to Lily in a deep, soothing baritone that melted every defensive barrier I had built around my heart.
But war was brewing outside our glass walls.
On the fourth morning, Dante burst into Dominic’s private study while we were eating breakfast.
"Boss, we have a leak," Dante said, his face grim. "Vince Moretti has been feeding our safehouse locations to the Valenti remnants. They know about the penthouse."
Dominic’s fork hit the porcelain plate with a sharp clink. The temperature in the room plummeted to freezing. Vince was Dominic’s cousin and second-in-command—a man who had stood by his side for a decade.
"Vince," Dominic murmured, the name sounding like a death sentence. "Where is he?"
"At the downtown warehouse," Dante replied. "He’s meeting with Marco Valenti right now."
I clutched my coffee mug, my hands shaking. "Dominic... you're going after them?"
Dominic stood up, walking over to me. He crouched down beside my chair, taking my hands in his large, warm palms. "I have to finish this, Elena. Once Vince is neutralized, the Valenti threat is gone forever. You and Lily will finally be safe."
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"Don't go," I pleaded, tears welling in my eyes. I had lost Mark; I couldn't bear the thought of losing the man who had quietly guarded our shadows for three years. "Stay here."
"I always come back," Dominic said, pressing his lips firmly to my knuckles. He stood, grabbed his coat, and walked out the door with Dante and a dozen armed men trailing behind him.
