Chapter 6 - THE EMPTY CHAIR
At 6:38 p.m., Dominic kissed Emma goodbye.
She stood in the foyer wearing jeans, sneakers and one of Isabella’s old scarves wrapped twice around her neck.
“You’re coming back?”
“Yes.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Before I sleep?”
Dominic hesitated.
Emma’s eyes narrowed.
He smiled slightly.
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She pointed at him.
“You’ve used a lot of promises today.”
“I’m aware.”
“Don’t run out.”
Dominic kissed her forehead.
Maria would stay with her.
So would Ava and Ethan.
Camille remained in a guest suite with two women from Dominic’s household present.
Her children had been given the choice to leave with their father.
They chose to wait until morning.
Dominic did not blame them.
Their lives had broken too.
Before Dominic reached the door, Emma called:
“Daddy?”
He turned.
“Don’t forget my cake Sunday.”
Dominic smiled.
“Chocolate.”
“With strawberries.”
“I know.”
“No fancy gold stuff.”
“I know.”
“Last year it tasted weird.”
“Go inside.”
She smiled.
Dominic left.
The social club in Brooklyn had not changed in thirty years.
Same red awning.
Same dark wood bar.
Same framed photographs of dead men who had once believed they would live forever.
Dominic walked in with Marco and Vincent.
Nobody announced him.
Nobody needed to.
Thirty-two men were inside.
Some belonged to Dominic.
Some had worked under Kane.
Others were simply waiting to see which way power moved.
Anthony Kane stood at the far end of the room.
No jacket.
White shirt.
Dark trousers.
His face looked almost relaxed.
“Dominic.”
Dominic removed his coat.
Handed it to Marco.
Then looked around.
“My chair.”
Kane smiled.
At the head of the long table sat Dominic’s father’s old wooden chair.
Kane had taken it.
Deliberately.
Dominic walked toward him.
Kane expected anger.
Dominic stopped at the opposite end of the table.
“Keep it.”
The room shifted.
Kane’s smile faded.
“What?”
“I said keep the chair.”
Dominic pulled out a smaller one and sat.
Vincent leaned against the wall.
Marco remained by the door.
Kane stared.
“You’re making a point.”
“No.”
Dominic folded his hands.
“I’ve had an educational forty-eight hours.”
A few men exchanged glances.
Kane laughed.
“Your daughter’s bedtime teach you something?”
The room became quiet.
Dominic’s expression did not change.
Kane had made another mistake.
Men like these understood many kinds of cruelty.
But even they had rules about children.
Dominic spoke calmly.
“You told my staff not to contact me when Emma was put out of her bedroom.”
Kane shrugged.
“I kept your house from distracting you.”
“One.”
Kane frowned.
Dominic continued.
“You fired Peter Rossi because he saw you leaving Camille’s room.”
Kane’s face changed slightly.
“Two.”
Dominic looked around.
“You replaced men who had been loyal to my family for years and told them I ordered it.”
Kane said nothing.
“Three.”
Dominic leaned back.
“You met Sal Vieri’s people at my gate.”
Several men looked toward Kane.
That was new to some of them.
Kane’s voice hardened.
“You don’t know why.”
“Tell me.”
“Business.”
“What business?”
“The kind you stopped paying attention to.”
Dominic nodded.
“Go on.”
Kane looked around the room.
“This is exactly the problem.”
He pointed toward Dominic.
“He disappears for weeks.”
Dominic listened.
“He spends half his time pretending he can turn himself into some respectable businessman.”
Kane laughed.
“Hotels. Restaurants. Real estate.”
Several men stayed expressionless.
Kane continued.
“Meanwhile I’m here.”
Dominic nodded.
“Yes.”
“I solve problems.”
“You create some too.”
“At least I’m present.”
That line hit.
Because it was true.
Not about the organization.
About Emma.
Dominic did not let Kane see it.
Kane continued:
“The old man built something people feared.”
Dominic’s father.
“He didn’t need approval from a nine-year-old before making decisions.”
A man near the bar looked away.
Kane kept going.
“He didn’t come running home because a maid called.”
Dominic said quietly:
“She didn’t call.”
Kane stopped.
“You made sure of that.”
Silence.
Kane shrugged.
“Because it didn’t matter.”
Dominic’s eyes changed.
Kane realized it.
Too late.
“You put my daughter on towels.”
“I didn’t touch your daughter.”
“You taught everyone in my house that helping her would cost them.”
Kane said nothing.
Dominic looked around the room.
“That is what Anthony thinks power is.”
His voice remained low.
“Making people afraid to do the right thing.”
Nobody moved.
Kane laughed.
“You want to lecture us about right and wrong?”
“No.”
Dominic looked at him.
“I am the last man in this room qualified to do that.”
Several men shifted.
Dominic continued:
“But I know loyalty.”
He looked toward Peter Rossi.
The older guard stepped through the side door.
Kane went still.
Peter was followed by two former security men Kane had fired.
Then the kitchen supervisor.
Then another driver.
Men Kane believed had disappeared quietly.
Dominic looked at Kane.
“You told them I wanted them gone.”
Kane’s jaw tightened.
“They were weak.”
Peter spoke:
“I saw you with Vieri’s men.”
Kane looked at him.
“You’re a gate guard.”
“Was.”
Someone at the bar laughed.
Kane snapped:
“Shut up.”
Nobody did.
Dominic remained seated.
“Tell them about Sunday.”
Kane’s face changed.
Vincent pushed off the wall.
Peter explained what he heard.
Kane arranging Dominic’s departure after Emma’s party.
The question about whether Dominic would be alone.
The room became very still.
Kane looked around.
“You’re taking his word?”
Dominic said:
“Not only his.”
The door opened again.
Camille entered.
Kane’s face went white.
Dominic had not wanted her there.
Camille insisted.
For once, Dominic allowed it.
She walked toward the table.
“You told me Dominic was leaving me.”
Kane stared.
Camille continued.
“You said he would never marry me because Isabella would always matter more.”
“Camille.”
“You said you loved me.”
A few men looked uncomfortable.
This was suddenly too personal even for them.
Kane’s voice hardened.
“Not here.”
Camille laughed.
“You had no problem coming into my room.”
Kane looked toward Dominic.
“This proves nothing.”
Camille stepped closer.
“You told me once Dominic was out of the way, things would finally change.”
The room went silent.
Kane’s face hardened.
“I meant politically.”
“No.”
Camille shook her head.
“You said after Sunday I wouldn’t have to ask permission for anything.”
Dominic watched her.
Camille’s eyes filled.
“I thought you meant he’d lose control of the organization.”
She looked at Dominic.
“I swear.”
Dominic did not respond.
Kane laughed.
“Now you believe her?”
“No.”
Dominic stood.
“But I believe patterns.”
He looked around.
“Kane wanted my schedule.”
“My house.”
“My people.”
“My silence.”
Then at Camille.
“And her.”
Kane’s expression finally cracked.
“You think you’re better than me?”
Dominic stared.
“No.”
“I think I trusted you.”
The answer was quieter than anger.
Kane looked around the room.
“You all really want this?”
Nobody answered.
That was the answer.
Kane smiled bitterly.
“All because his kid slept in the basement.”
Vincent’s face changed.
Peter stepped forward.
Marco stopped him.
Dominic remained still.
Kane looked at him.
“You’re weak.”
Dominic nodded once.
“Maybe.”
Then:
“But every man in this room now knows you used a child because you thought nobody important would care.”
Kane’s smile disappeared.
One man near the back stood.
Then another.
Not toward Kane.
Away from him.
Chairs moved.
Slowly.
Quietly.
The men Kane expected to follow him began leaving his side.
No dramatic speeches.
No oath.
They simply stepped away.
Power did not always collapse loudly.
Sometimes it emptied the chair beside you.
Kane looked around.
His hand moved.
Marco was faster.
The weapon never cleared Kane’s waistband.
Marco twisted his arm back.
Kane hit the table.
Glasses rattled.
Dominic did not move.
“Let me go.”
Marco looked at Dominic.
Vincent said:
“Say the word.”
For one terrible second, everybody waited for the Dominic Moretti they knew.
The one who did not forgive betrayal.
The one men whispered about.
Dominic thought about Emma inside the playhouse.
Are you going to hurt Anthony?
He looked at Kane.
“No.”
Vincent stared.
“Dominic.”
“No.”
Kane laughed against the table.
“Your daughter made you soft.”
Dominic walked closer.
He leaned down.
“My daughter reminded me that I don’t need to become you to stop you.”
Kane’s smile vanished.
Dominic straightened.
Outside, sirens approached.
Several men turned.
Kane’s face changed.
“What did you do?”
Dominic looked toward the windows.
There were crimes Kane had committed without Dominic.
Extortion.
Illegal weapons.
Assault.
A great many things Dominic’s lawyers had quietly documented once Vincent started digging.
Enough for men with badges to become interested.
Dominic did not explain.
He simply looked at Kane.
“You wanted my chair.”
The sirens became louder.
Dominic glanced toward the old wooden seat at the head of the table.
“Enjoy it while you can.”
Then he put on his coat.
Kane shouted behind him.
“This isn’t over!”
Dominic stopped at the door.
He looked back.
“No.”
Then he thought of Emma waiting.
“But my night with you is.”
At 9:47 p.m., Dominic Moretti walked into his own house.
Emma was asleep on the couch.
Chocolate smeared near one corner of her mouth.
Maria sat nearby.
Dominic looked at the clock.
Then at Emma.
“I promised before she slept.”
Maria smiled.
“She tried.”
Dominic crouched.
“Emma.”
The child opened one eye.
“You came back.”
“I said I would.”
She studied him.
“Did you hurt Anthony?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Emma smiled sleepily.
“Good.”
Then:
“Did you bring pizza?”
Dominic stared.
Maria started laughing.
One of the most feared men in New York looked at his daughter.
“I was busy.”
Emma closed her eyes.
“Bad excuse.”
Dominic smiled.
She was right.
May you like
Again.
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