Chapter 11 - THE LAST SHADOW
The words hung in the air, heavy and absolute. Elena had planted a poison pill in her legal documents. Even in her absence, she was forcing Dominic's hand, using the corrupt justice system the mafia had built against him.
"So, I have a choice," Dominic said, his voice terrifyingly calm as he picked up the document. "I keep my empire, and I lose my daughter. Or I walk away from the Five Families, and I keep Mia."
"Dominic, you can't just walk away from the syndicate," Marcus warned, his face pale. "It's not a corporation. You don't just resign. The other Capos... they will see it as a sign of weakness. They will move on you to take the territory."
Dominic looked at me. He looked at the doorway, where little Mia had just wandered in, rubbing her eyes and dragging a stuffed bear.
He didn't hesitate for a single second.
He picked up a gold pen from the desk and signed the document, relinquishing his claim to the criminal empire he had run for a decade.
"Marcus," Dominic said, dropping the pen. "Call a meeting of the Capos. Tonight. At the downtown hotel. I'm stepping down."
The meeting was set for midnight in a heavily guarded penthouse. I refused to stay behind at the mansion. I stood by Dominic's side as he addressed the five most dangerous men in Chicago.
He laid it out plainly. He was done. The territory would be divided equally among them. There would be no bloodshed unless they brought it to his doorstep.
Most of the men nodded, greedy for the newly available power, too intimidated by Dominic to challenge his exit.
But one man didn't nod. Vincenzo, an old-school enforcer who had served Dominic's father, stood up. His face was twisted in disgust.
"You shame your father's legacy for a child and a nurse?" Vincenzo spat. "You leave us vulnerable to the New York families! I won't let you destroy what we built."
Answer one: the transition of power would not be peaceful. Open one: How far was Vincenzo willing to go to stop Dominic?
Vincenzo didn't wait for a response. With lightning speed, he drew a snub-nosed revolver from inside his coat and aimed it directly at Dominic's chest.
Everything seemed to move in horrific slow motion. Dominic was unarmed, having surrendered his weapons at the door to show good faith. Marcus was across the room, too far to intercept.
I didn't think. I didn't rationalize. I just moved.
As Vincenzo pulled the trigger, I threw my body in front of Dominic.
The sound of the gunshot was deafening. The impact felt like a sledgehammer hitting my ribs. The world spun violently, the chandelier above fracturing into a thousand points of light as I collapsed onto the plush carpet.
"CLAIRE!" Dominic's roar shook the walls.
Before Vincenzo could fire a second shot, Dominic was on him. The violence was instantaneous and absolute.
I lay on the floor, gasping for air, clutching my side as warm blood soaked through my dress. Marcus was suddenly beside me, pressing his hands hard against my wound.
"Hold on, Claire," Marcus yelled, his voice sounding underwater. "Stay with me!"
Dominic dropped Vincenzo's unconscious body and slid across the floor, pulling me into his lap. His hands were covered in my blood, his face twisted in a mask of pure agony.
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"Look at me, Claire," Dominic begged, tears streaming down his face, dropping onto my cheeks. "You promised me a future. Don't you dare break that promise. Don't leave me in the dark."
I tried to speak, to tell him it was going to be okay, but the darkness was pulling me under, fast and deep.
