Chapter 6 - Shadows Over Philadelphia
While Dominic’s heart was finding peace with Claire, the underworld of the East Coast was simmering with unrest.
In a dimly lit warehouse along the Delaware River docks, Ethan stood over a restrained man who had been caught tailing Claire’s car two days prior. Dominic entered the room, his demeanor transformed entirely. The warmth he showed Claire was gone, replaced by the freezing, lethal stillness of the Russo Don.
“Who sent you?” Dominic asked, his voice dead flat.
The man spat blood onto the concrete floor. “Go to hell, Russo. Salvatore Vargas knows you’re weak now. You’re playing house with a little schoolteacher. The docks in South Jersey belong to us now.”
Dominic didn't flinch. He didn't even raise his hand. He simply stepped closer, his presence radiating such terrifying dominance that the prisoner’s bravado cracked.
“Tell Salvatore,” Dominic spoke quietly, “that if a single one of his men breathes within a mile of Claire Bennett, I will not just take his docks. I will erase the Vargas name from every ledger on the East Coast. Am I clear?”
The man nodded frantically, shivering under Dominic’s gaze.
“Cut him loose,” Dominic told Ethan. “Let him deliver the message.”
As they walked back to the car, Ethan checked his phone. “Dominic, this is getting out of hand. The annual Children's Hospital Charity Gala is next Friday. You’re the primary sponsor. If you take Claire as your public date, the press will cover it. The syndicate families will see her face.”
Dominic buttoned his coat. “Claire is not a secret to be hidden. She is the woman I intend to spend my life with. Increase her private security detail to twenty-four hours, but keep them invisible. If she notices a single bodyguard, Ethan, you’re fired.”
“Understood,” Ethan sighed.
Meanwhile, Claire was dealing with a nuisance of her own. Her ex-fiancé, Marcus Vance—the self-absorbed investment banker who had tried to micromanage her life into misery—had recently transferred to Philadelphia.
Marcus had sent three flower bouquets to Claire’s school and left numerous voicemails demanding they “catch up over dinner to discuss mutual closure.” Claire had blocked his number, but the lingering anxiety of his controlling past still haunted the corners of her mind.
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When Dominic invited Claire to be his date at the prestigious Metropolitan Gala that Friday, Claire was thrilled, eager to support the children's charity and spend a glamorous night with the man she loved.
Little did she know, Marcus Vance had just purchased a ticket to the very same gala.
