Chapter 7 - The Ambush at the Port
The Providence commercial shipping yards were vast, labyrinthine mazes of towering metal shipping containers, rumbling crane gantries, and cold ocean air that tasted of salt and diesel fuel.
Dominic’s black Mercedes pulled up near Pier 4, coming to a smooth halt beside an empty warehouse. Marcus and two other armed enforcers stepped out first, scanning the shadows before opening the rear door for Dominic.
Dominic stepped out, adjusting his cuffs. His face was a mask of cold, calculated authority.
A few yards away, standing beside a rusted container stack, was Arthur Vance. The older man looked disheveled, his silver hair ruffled by the harbor wind, his expensive overcoat flapping open. But what caught Dominic’s attention wasn't Arthur—it was the two unfamiliar men standing behind him.
They wore heavy leather jackets, their hands tucked casually inside their pockets in a way that screamed concealed weaponry. Out-of-state muscle. New York syndicate enforcers trying to muscle their way into Providence ports while Dominic was distracted.
"Arthur," Dominic called out, his voice echoing cleanly across the concrete. "I told you on Thursday that you should leave before dessert. You seem to have a terrible habit of ignoring good advice."
Arthur Vance sneered, stepping forward. "You think you own this city, Dominic? You think because your father left you this empire on a silver platter that you're untouchable? Times change. Partnerships expire."
"Partnerships expire when trust is broken," Dominic replied coldly, walking forward at a measured, unhurried pace. "You embezzled four million dollars from the port maintenance fund over five years. I let you walk away with your pension intact out of respect for your gray hair. Bringing outsiders into my port is a very expensive mistake."
"Kill him," Arthur spat, gesturing to the two thugs behind him.
The first thug whipped his hand out of his pocket, clutching a suppressed automatic pistol, raising it toward Dominic’s chest.
Three seconds.
That was all it took.
Before the thug’s finger could even begin to squeeze the trigger, a deafening crack split the air from the rooftop above. A precise, controlled shot shattered the concrete inches from the thug's boot, followed immediately by Marcus’s voice booming over a tactical comms channel: "Targets painted, boss. Make a move and the roof clears the deck."
At the exact same moment, Dominic moved with terrifying, predatory speed.
He didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, he closed the distance between them, grabbed the armed thug’s wrist, and twisted it with bone-crunching force. The pistol clattered uselessly onto the concrete. Before the second thug could react, Dominic drove a devastating palm strike into his chest, dropping the man to his knees gasping for air.
Arthur Vance stumbled backward, his face turning the color of ash as he stared at Dominic.
Dominic stepped over the writhing thug, towering above Arthur. His knuckles were slightly red, his breathing steady, his dark eyes burning with absolute lethal intent. He reached out, grabbing Arthur by the lapels of his expensive coat and lifting him off his feet with effortless strength.
"Listen to me very carefully, Arthur," Dominic whispered, his voice so cold it froze the air between them. "You have until sunset to leave Rhode Island. If I ever see your face in this city again, I won't just end our business partnership. I will erase you."
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He shoved Arthur hard against the metal shipping container. The older man scrambled away like a frightened rat, tripping over his own feet before fleeing toward a waiting sedan that peeled out in a screech of burning rubber.
Dominic straightened his tie, brushing a speck of dust off his jacket. He pulled out his encrypted phone, dialing speed dial one without a second thought.
