Chapter 4 - The Shadow over the Estate "Pack your things," Don Matteo said to Lena.
Lena stood up, wiping the dust from her hands onto her jeans. "Excuse me? I have deliveries to finish. My boss at Apex Logistics—"
"Will be bought out by five o'clock today, or he will give you a lifetime paid leave," Matteo interrupted calmly. "You are coming with me to my estate."
"I don't work for mob bosses," Lena said firmly, crossing her arms.
"You work for Titan," Matteo replied, pointing to the dog.
Titan had pulled his head back through the hatch, but he was standing close to the iron door, whining softly, his nose pressed against the crack, searching for Lena's scent. He refused to let anyone else draw near.
"He trusts no one but you," Matteo continued. "He needs treatment, he needs a safe environment, and I need someone I can trust to care for him while I deal with the snakes in my house. Name your price, Lena Mercer. I know about your father’s debts. I know about the mortgage on your grandmother's farm in Vermont. It will all be wiped clean by sunset."
Lena looked at the dark room, listening to Titan’s anxious breaths, and then at the powerful man standing before her. She knew entering the world of Matteo Moretti was dangerous. But leaving Titan behind to be caught in the crossfire of a mafia war was something she couldn't live with.
"I have conditions," Lena said boldly.
Victor, the bodyguard, looked shocked that someone dared bargain with Don Moretti, but Matteo merely raised an eyebrow. "Speak."
"One: Titan stays with me at all times. Two: I direct his medical treatment, not your private doctors. Three: No violence in front of the dog. He’s suffered enough."
A rare, faint smile touched Matteo’s lips. "Agreed."
Two hours later, a convoy of dark armored SUVs pulled up to the gated entrance of the sprawling Moretti estate in the hills of Westchester.
The estate was breathtaking—a grand European-style stone mansion surrounded by acres of thick forestry and manicured lawns. But beneath the luxury, Lena could feel the suffocating tension in the air. Armed men in dark suits patrolled the perimeter with Belgian Malinois on heavy leashes.
Lena rode in the back of the lead SUV, her arm wrapped around Titan's massive neck. The dog was wearing a soft leather harness and was resting his heavy head on her lap, calm as long as he could feel her heart beating against his flank.
When the vehicle came to a stop in front of the grand entrance, a young man stepped out onto the marble steps to greet them. He wore a tailored charcoal suit, slicked-back hair, and a warm, inviting smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
It was Julian Moretti.
"Brother!" Julian called out, walking down the steps with open arms. "You’ve been gone all morning. We were worried. And... my god, is that Titan?"
Julian’s eyes widened in genuine shock as he saw the massive mastiff step out of the vehicle beside Lena.
Titan’s head snapped toward Julian's voice. Immediately, the dog’s hackles raised. His upper lip pulled back over yellowed teeth, and a vicious, chest-rattling growl exploded from his throat. He lunged forward, strain echoing through his leather harness!
"Woah!" Julian stumbled back, his face turning pale as paper. "Get that wild beast away from me! Why didn't you have him destroyed, Matteo? He’s clearly gone mad!"
Lena held tightly to Titan's leash, stepping in front of the dog to block his view, using her body to calm him down. "He's not mad," she said loudly, staring straight into Julian’s trembling eyes. "He just remembers the smell of the man who fed him thallium."
Julian’s expression froze for a fraction of a second before he forced a laugh. "Thallium? What nonsense are you talking about? Who is this girl, Matteo? A delivery driver?"
"She is Titan's caretaker," Matteo said, his voice as cold as ice, walking up the steps past his brother. "And she is my guest. Tonight, Julian, we hold a family dinner. I want all the capos present. We have a traitor to expose."
May you like
Julian’s hand twitched near his pocket, but he swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course, Matteo. Whatever you say."
As Lena led Titan toward the guest house, she felt a chill run down her spine. The true danger hadn't ended at the shelter—it was just beginning inside this gilded cage.
