Chapter 8 - The Lieutenant’s Ultimatum
The grand salon of the Gloucester estate was lit only by the flickering amber glow of a massive stone fireplace, casting long, dancing shadows across the dark oak walls.
Lieutenant Miller—a tall, prematurely graying man in a rumpled beige trench coat—stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, holding a glass of scotch that Dominic hadn't offered him. Two armed state troopers stood by the double doors, their presence an open violation of the Vale syndicate's sovereign territory.
Dominic stood near the hearth, his hands buried in his pockets, his posture relaxed but radiating deadly intent. I stood a few paces to his right, wearing my Walther PPK concealed inside the pocket of my wool cardigan, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
"Nice place, Vale," Miller said, taking a slow sip of the scotch. "Oceanfront views, private security, imported art. Must cost a fortune to maintain. Too bad the federal tax commission is about to audit every square inch of it."
"You're trespassing, Miller," Dominic said, his voice dangerously low. "And you're drinking my liquor without an invitation. Both are habits that tend to shorten a man's life expectancy in Gloucester."
Miller chuckled, setting the glass down on the marble table. He turned around, pulling a thick manila folder from his trench coat and tossing it onto the coffee table.
"I didn't come here to play mob boss games with you, Dominic. I came here for her."
He pointed a finger directly at me.
"Evelyn Hart. Or should I say, Mrs. Vale."
I stepped forward, lifting my chin. "I am an American citizen, Lieutenant. Marrying a private citizen is not a crime."
"Marrying the head of an active criminal enterprise while your brother liquidates stolen shipping assets to pay off Russian mobsters? That's not a marriage, sweetheart. That's a co-conspirator pact," Miller snapped, taking a step toward us.
"Nolan Hart was picked up at a diner in South Boston forty minutes ago with thirty thousand dollars in untraceable bearer bonds in his trunk. He sang like a canary the second we put the cuffs on him. He told us everything about Pryce, about the Russian debt, and about how Dominic blackmailed you into this wedding."
Nolan. My own brother had sold us out to save his own skin.
A cold, heavy rage settled into my chest. Before I could speak, Dominic moved.
He didn't shout. He didn't draw a weapon. He simply crossed the room in three long, terrifying strides, grabbed Lieutenant Miller by the lapels of his trench coat, and slammed him against the oak-paneled wall with enough force to shatter the wood.
"You listen to me very carefully, you corrupt piece of trash," Dominic whispered, his face inches from Miller's, his voice carrying the terrifying promise of total annihilation.
"My wife is not a suspect. She is not a pawn. And if you ever step foot on my property again without a federal warrant signed by a judge who isn't on my payroll, I will feed you to the sharks swimming outside those windows."
The two state troopers by the door unholstered their firearms, shouting, "Let him go! Step away from the lieutenant!"
Before they could raise their sights, four of Dominic’s elite guards materialized from the shadows of the hallway, their automatic rifles leveled squarely at the troopers' chests.
The room was a powder keg, one stray breath away from a massacre.
"Dominic... stop," I said, stepping forward, my hand resting gently against his forearm.
The muscle beneath my fingers was hard as iron, twitching with restrained violence. I looked up into his flint-gray eyes, seeing the storm raging behind them, and for the first time, I realized what he was risking by keeping me here.
He was risking his entire empire for a girl he had supposedly married just to secure a shipping lane.
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Dominic slowly released his grip on Miller’s lapel, smoothing down the front of the detective's coat with exaggerated, mocking politeness.
"Get out of my house, Miller," Dominic said smoothly. "And tell Nolan that if he ever calls my phone again, I won't send the police—I'll send the Russians."
