Chapter 2 - Shadows of the Moretti
The Vale estate, usually a peaceful fortress overlooking the foggy Hudson River, transformed overnight into a war zone. Armed guards in tactical gear patrolled the perimeter with Belgian Malinois attack dogs. The iron gates were locked, and heavy steel shutters were drawn over the lower floor windows.
Dominic spent the next forty-eight hours without sleep. In his subterranean command center, he and his most loyal lieutenants worked to dismantle the traitorous network Nathan and Claire had spent eighteen months building.
What they found was horrifying. Nathan hadn't just leaked shipping schedules; he had provided the Moretti syndicate with complete structural maps of Dominic's safehouses, bank account numbers, and the names of every loyal soldier in the Vale organization.
"Boss," Daniel said, slapping a thick folder onto the steel tactical table. "We traced the satellite phone found on Nathan. The last three calls were made to Don Victor Moretti himself. The last text message was sent at 4:00 AM yesterday: The package is locked away. The boss returns today. Execute Plan B."
"Plan B," Dominic repeated, staring at the glowing monitors showing the estate perimeter. "What is Plan B?"
"We don't know yet," Daniel replied darkly. "But Victor Moretti just recalled all his capos to his estate in Long Island. They're mobilizing."
Dominic rubbed his temples. The weight of the empire sat heavy on his shoulders, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the second floor of the mansion, where Mia and Harper were recovering.
Leaving the war room, Dominic walked up the grand staircase. The house was eerie in its silence. He paused outside the master guest suite, knocking softly.
"Come in," Mia's voice called out.
Dominic pushed the door open. The room was bathed in the warm light of a crackling fireplace. Mia was sitting on the edge of the plush bed, wearing a soft wool sweater, brushing Harper’s hair. The little girl had her legs tucked under a blanket, clutching a stuffed bear Daniel had bought her from the local town market.
When Harper saw Dominic, her face lit up. "Mr. Dominic!"
Dominic felt the cold, hard ice around his heart melt just a little. He walked over and sat on a wooden chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling, little one?"
"My toes aren't cold anymore," Harper declared proudly, wiggling her feet in thick pink socks. "And Mommy made me warm milk."
Mia looked up, her soft brown eyes full of gratitude, though deep dark circles still bruised the skin beneath them. "Dr. Evans says I'll be fine in a few days. The IV helped a lot. Mr. Dominic... I don't know how to thank you. If you hadn't listened to Harper..."
"Don't thank me, Mia," Dominic said softly, his deep voice filling the cozy room. "I should have known what was happening under my own roof. I brought snakes into this house, and you and Harper paid the price for my blindness."
"You couldn't have known," Mia insisted gently, reaching out instinctively to place her hand over his rough knuckles. She froze, realizing what she had done, and began to pull her hand back, but Dominic caught her fingers, holding them gently in his massive, calloused hand.
"Stay here," Dominic said, looking directly into her eyes. "Both of you. Until this war with the Morettis is over, you do not step foot outside this estate. You are safe here."
"Are you safe, Mr. Dominic?" Harper asked innocently, hugging her bear tightly. "The bad men... are they coming here?"
Dominic looked at the four-year-old girl who had saved her mother’s life with sheer courage. "No, sweetheart. I won't let them."
Suddenly, the internal comms radio on Dominic’s belt buzzed violently.
"Boss! We have a problem at the western gate!" Daniel’s voice crackled through the speaker, laced with static and panic. "A convoy of three black vans just breached the outer perimeter! They aren't trying to hide—they're heavy armed! They're pushing straight for the main house!"
Dominic’s eyes turned to ice. Plan B.
He stood up instantly, pulling his secondary firearm from his hip holster and handing it to Mia.
"Do you know how to use this?" he asked firmly.
Mia’s hands trembled, but she gripped the heavy metal weapon, sliding her finger alongside the frame just as he had shown her during security drills months ago. "Point and pull."
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"If anyone other than me or Daniel opens that door, you shoot," Dominic commanded. He looked at Harper. "Hide in the panic closet behind the wardrobe. Now!"
Dominic rushed out of the room, slamming the heavy mahogany door behind him, just as the sound of automatic gunfire shattered the quiet morning outside the estate.
