Chapter 9 - The Blood Debt
Adrian didn't flinch. He raised his pistol, aiming squarely at Dominic’s chest, a dark, dangerous smile playing on his lips.
“You’re trespassing, Russo,” Adrian mocked, his voice steady. “And you’re about a minute too late. The accounts are already frozen.”
Dominic didn't look at Adrian. His gaze cut straight through the smoke, locking onto me where I stood just a few feet behind Adrian’s shoulder. The raw anguish and feral desperation in Dominic’s eyes sent a shiver straight down my spine.
“Claire,” Dominic said, his voice dropping to a rough, broken whisper that barely carried over the crackle of the fireplace. “Put the ledger down. Walk away from him right now, and I swear to God I will burn every enemy I have to ash to keep you safe.”
“You’ve spent eight months telling me you don’t want me, Dominic,” I answered, my voice steady, though my heart hammered like a trapped bird against my ribs. “Why do you care now? Because your money is tied to my name?”
“I never stopped wanting you,” Dominic roared, the confession tearing out of his throat with visceral agony. “Every second I spent in that damn study, every night I forced myself to sleep alone, every breath I took—it was to keep you from realizing how completely you owned me! I was protecting you from myself, Claire! From this filth!”
Adrian let out a short, dry laugh. “Save the romance for the divorce court, Russo. She’s my partner now.”
That was the mistake. Adrian lowered his guard for a fraction of a second, shifting his weight to step slightly in front of me.
Dominic didn't hesitate. He pulled the trigger—not aiming at Adrian, but firing a single, deafening round into the concrete floor right between Adrian’s boots. The ricochet showered sparks across the black marble.
“Move an inch, Cross,” Dominic snarled, his rifle raising to lock onto Adrian’s forehead, “and I’ll blow your brains across your own penthouse glass.”
Before Adrian could retaliate, I stepped out from behind his shoulder, pushing his gun down with my bare hand.
“Stop,” I commanded. Both men froze, their eyes snapping to me.
I walked slowly around Adrian, stepping right into the center of the smoke-filled room, stopping just five feet away from Dominic. The barrel of his assault rifle pointed down toward the floor now, his chest rising and falling heavily as he stared at me like I was a miracle he didn't dare touch.
“You built an empire on lies, Dominic,” I said quietly, the tears finally threatening to spill over, though I blinked them back with iron resolve. “You treated me like a ghost. If you want me back... you’re going to have to tear down the entire syndicate with your own hands and start over from scratch.”
Dominic stared at me, the ruthless mafia boss melting away to reveal the broken man underneath. Slowly, deliberately, he let go of the assault rifle. It clattered loudly against the marble floor.
May you like
He didn't care about the guns anymore. He didn't care about Vanguard Holdings. He crossed the distance between us in two long strides, grabbed my face in his warm, calloused hands, and pulled me into a fierce, desperate kiss that tasted of smoke, blood, and absolute surrender.
Across the room, Adrian Cross lowered his gun, letting out a low whistle of disgust. “Well, I’ll be damned. The mob princess just took over the syndicate without firing a single shot.”
