Chapter 8 - The Fire at the Sea Gate
The lower boat house on the Caruso estate was an ancient stone structure built right into the cliffside, where high tide washed against iron boat slips.
Dominic Moretti and six of his elite hitmen stepped out of a silent electric launch onto the slick concrete dock, their suppressed submachine guns raised, expecting an empty, unguarded entry point.
Instead, the moment the six men stepped onto the stone floor, massive floodlights mounted on the high rafters snapped on, blinding them in a wall of white light.
"Drop your weapons!" Dante’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker system, vibrating off the stone walls.
Dominic Moretti shielded his eyes, cursing violently as he realized he had walked straight into a kill zone. "Shoot the lights! SHOOT THEM!"
Gunfire erupted.
The sharp, deafening chatter of submachine guns shattered the night as Dominic’s men sprayed the rafters. But Dante’s security detail was already entrenched behind reinforced steel storage containers.
Return fire was swift, precise, and ruthless.
I stood on the upper catwalk overlooking the boat house, wearing a Kevlar vest Dante’s men had strapped over my sweater, holding Titan firmly by his harness. Dante stood right beside me, his long leather coat sweeping behind him, a heavy tactical rifle held effortlessly against his shoulder.
"Stay behind the steel pillar, Rosalie," Dante commanded, his voice cold and steady amidst the chaos below.
"I’m right here," I said, keeping my eyes fixed on Dominic Moretti, who was cowering behind a wooden boat cradle as three of his hitmen fell to Dante’s marksmen.
Within two minutes, the gunfire died down. Five of Dominic’s men were dead on the concrete floor. The sixth was severely wounded, groaning near the water’s edge.
Dominic Moretti was left alone, his custom chrome pistol empty, standing in the center of the docks with his hands held high, his expensive coat soaked in sea spray and blood.
"CARUSO!" Dominic screamed toward the rafters, his voice cracking with sheer terror. "Wait! We can talk! We can make a deal! I’ll give you the entire South Baltimore territory!"
Dante stepped out onto the iron catwalk railing, looking down at Dominic like a judge delivering an execution sentence.
"You broke the commission rules, Dominic," Dante said, his voice echoing through the silent boat house. "You paid a traitor in my house. You targeted my property. And you tried to lay hands on my woman."
Dante lowered his rifle and gestured toward the stairs.
I walked down the metal spiral staircase, step by step, with Titan pacing beside me.
When Dominic saw me step onto the concrete floor, his eyes widened in absolute, disbelieving horror.
"You..." Dominic whispered. "The vet tech..."
"Her name is Rosalie Whitaker," Dante said, descending the stairs right behind me, stepping up beside me and placing a warm, heavy hand on my waist. "And she was the one who caught your traitor, locked down the sea gate, and led you straight into this room."
Dominic looked from Dante to me, and finally to Titan, who stood at my side, his dark eyes fixed on Dominic’s throat.
"Please..." Dominic begged, falling to his knees on the wet concrete. "Rosalie... you're a civilian! You're a medical worker! You don't belong in this blood! Tell him to spare me!"
I looked down at the man who had tried to murder Dante, who had tried to kill Titan, who had threatened my brother’s life.
"I spent six weeks watching bad men hide behind wealth and power," I said softly, my voice cold as ice. "You aren't a businessman, Mr. Moretti. You're just a parasite that got caught."
I looked up at Dante. "He’s all yours."
Dante smiled—a dark, beautiful, deadly smile. He reached into his coat, pulled out his Sig Sauer, and stepped forward.
"Titan, turn around," I whispered, gently making a hand signal to shield the dog’s eyes.
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A single gunshot echoed through the high stone rafters of the boat house, followed by the heavy splash of a body falling into the dark water of the harbor.
The war for Baltimore was over.
