Chapter 6 - Whispers in the Underworld
The Moretti syndicate was the last remaining rival faction operating on the southern perimeter of the city.
Led by Victor Moretti—an aging, ruthless mobster clinging desperately to outdated rackets of extortion and human trafficking—the Morettis had spent five years being systematically pushed out of the harbor districts by Gabriel’s expanding influence.
Victor Moretti was desperate. And a desperate predator was always the most dangerous.
Inside the study, Gabriel stood behind his desk, reviewing the surveillance photographs Dante had laid out.
The photos showed Victor Moretti’s eldest son, Enzo, meeting with Trent Miller’s disreputable cousins in an abandoned warehouse near the rail yards.
“Trent had gambling debts with Moretti’s sports betting ring,” Dante explained, tapping a photograph of a ledger page. “Fifty thousand dollars. When Trent disappeared, Moretti started digging. They found out Trent was hospitalized and shipped north by our men. Now Enzo Moretti is putting the pieces together. He knows the girl from the Velvet Room is here, at the estate.”
Gabriel’s expression was carved from glacial ice.
He tossed the photographs onto the desk.
“Victor Moretti thinks he can use Harper as leverage to force concessions at the deepwater docks,” Gabriel said, his voice deadly quiet.
“They’re mobilizing a crew,” Dante warned. “Enzo is reckless, Boss. He might try something stupid during the upcoming St. Jude’s Charity Gala at the Grand Plaza Hotel.”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed into lethal slits.
The St. Jude’s Gala was the premier social event of the year—a gathering of high-society elites, politicians, foreign dignitaries, and the city’s most powerful families. Gabriel was the primary benefactor and guest of honor.
“Let them try,” Gabriel replied softly.
“Boss?” Dante asked, confused.
“Victor Moretti believes Harper is a hidden vulnerability,” Gabriel explained, his voice carrying the calm weight of a grandmaster moving a queen into checkmate. “He believes she is a frightened little bird hiding in the dark. We are going to show the entire city that she is untouchable.”
Gabriel looked toward the closed door of the study.
“Harper will attend the gala at my side,” Gabriel declared. “As my guest. As my equal. And if Enzo Moretti so much as looks in her direction... we will eradicate their bloodline before the final dance.”
Ten minutes later, Gabriel walked into the conservatory library where Harper was pacing anxiously near the grand piano.
The moment she saw him, she rushed forward.
“Gabriel, I heard Dante,” Harper said, her hazel eyes wide with alarm. “The Morettis... they're looking for me because of Trent. If I stay here, I’m putting you and your people in danger. I can leave. I can take a bus to Chicago, disappear under a new name—”
Gabriel crossed the distance between them in two long strides.
He reached out, catching her upper arms in a firm, steadying grip.
“Stop,” Gabriel commanded gently.
Harper ceased her frantic words, looking up into his dark, unwavering eyes.
“You are not running anymore, Harper,” Gabriel said, his voice vibrating with absolute authority. “You will never run from anyone again. Do you hear me?”
“But the Morettis—”
“The Morettis are relics of a dying era,” Gabriel dismissed with cold indifference. “They do not dictate our lives. They do not force us into hiding. You are under the protection of House Costa. An attack on you is a declaration of war against my entire empire.”
Gabriel brought one hand up to cradle the side of her neck, his thumb resting against her racing pulse.
“In three days, the city holds its annual charity gala,” Gabriel continued, his gaze intense. “I want you to accompany me. I want you to walk into that ballroom on my arm. I want every politician, every judge, and every rival boss in this city to see that you belong beside me.”
Harper’s breath hitched. “The gala? Gabriel, I’m just a cocktail waitress from the north side. I don't know how to act in high society. Those people will look right through me.”
May you like
Gabriel smiled—a slow, breathtaking smile full of fierce pride.
“You survived hell, Harper,” Gabriel murmured. “High society is nothing more than wolves in expensive tuxedos. And you will be walking with the apex predator. They will not look through you. They will bow.”
