Chapter 3 - Trapped in the Mafia Boss’s Penthouse: The Chilling Reason He Refuses to Let Me Leave
The safehouse wasn't a dusty basement or a hidden bunker.
It was a sprawling, twenty-story penthouse overlooking the Boston harbor, all floor-to-ceiling windows, cold marble, and suffocating luxury.
"This is my private residence," Dominic said, stepping out of the private elevator. "Leo will show you to your room."
"How long am I supposed to stay here?" Chloe asked, dropping her small canvas bag onto the pristine floor.
"Until the Rossi family is no longer a threat," Dominic answered, pouring himself a bourbon at the crystal bar.
"That could take months!"
"It will take exactly as long as it takes."
Leo stepped forward, gesturing to a hallway on the right.
"This way, Miss Bennett."
Chloe followed the silent giant down a hallway lined with expensive, unsettling modern art.
The room she was given was the size of her entire apartment, featuring a massive king-sized bed and a view of the stormy ocean.
She sat on the edge of the mattress, feeling utterly hollow.
On the bedside table, someone had left an old, beautiful deck of Tarot cards.
Desperate for a distraction, Chloe shuffled them, her mother's old habit bringing her a strange sliver of comfort.
She pulled three cards and laid them on the silk sheets.
The Emperor. The King of Wands. The Four of Wands.
The Emperor stared back at her. Dominant, unyielding, controlling everything from his stone throne.
Dominic.
The Four of Wands symbolized a safe haven, a home.
She traced the edge of the Emperor card. Was this a prison, or was this man the only thing keeping her safe from the chaos outside?
The door clicked open.
Dominic stood in the frame, his jacket off, the holster still strapped across his chest.
"You read cards?" he asked, his eyes dropping to the bed.
"My mother taught me," Chloe said, quickly gathering them up. "It's just a game."
"Nothing is just a game," Dominic said, stepping into the room. "The man you saw tonight. His name is Carlo. He didn't act alone."
"You said the Rossi family sent him."
"They did. But Carlo knew exactly where I sat. He knew Leo's blind spot." Dominic's jaw tightened. "Someone inside my organization gave them the blueprints to the restaurant."
Chloe swallowed hard. "A traitor."
"Yes." Dominic looked at her, his gaze piercing. "And until I find out who it is, I can't trust anyone."
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"Why trust me, then?" she asked softly.
"Because," Dominic said, a strange, dark intensity in his voice. "You had three seconds to let me die, and you didn't. You are the only person in this city I know for a fact wants me alive."
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