Chapter 8 - The Betrayal Came From Inside Dominic’s Own FamilyRossy disappeared for six days.
No calls.
No attacks.
No messages.
That frightened Dominic more than open war.
Harper learned to recognize his silences.
There was the ordinary silence.
The irritated silence.
The calculating silence.
And the silence that meant someone was about to have a catastrophic evening.
By the sixth day, Dominic barely slept.
Neither did Harper.
They were staying at a brownstone Dominic owned under another name.
Teresa occupied the second floor.
Barnaby had claimed a velvet chair worth more than Harper’s car.
Leo came and went.
Finn worked remotely.
For brief stretches, life became almost absurdly domestic.
Harper cooked eggs.
Dominic hated her coffee.
Barnaby hated Dominic.
Teresa loved everybody and respected nobody’s privacy.
One morning Harper entered the kitchen to find Dominic staring at Barnaby.
Barnaby stared back.
“What’s happening?”
Harper asked.
“This animal is sitting in my chair.”
“You have six chairs.”
“This is mine.”
“Explain that to him.”
Dominic looked at Barnaby.
“Move.”
Barnaby yawned.
Harper covered her mouth.
Dominic looked personally insulted.
“Your cat has authority problems.”
“He recognizes a competitor.”
Dominic turned toward Harper.
She smiled.
He caught her around the waist.
Harper gasped.
“What are you doing?”
“Correcting another authority problem.”
He pulled her closer.
Harper’s palms landed against his chest.
The shoulder wound was healing.
His body was warm beneath the black shirt.
“You can’t intimidate me anymore.”
“I am aware.”
“That bothers you.”
“Immensely.”
He kissed her.
This kiss was slower than the first.
No gunfire.
No warehouse.
No blood.
Just morning light.
Coffee.
A ridiculous cat.
And two people discovering what remained when adrenaline disappeared.
Harper pulled away first.
Dominic’s forehead rested against hers.
“This is dangerous,” he murmured.
“You keep saying that.”
“You keep ignoring me.”
“That seems to be our dynamic.”
His phone rang.
The softness disappeared.
Leo.
Dominic answered.
Harper watched his face.
“What?”
Silence.
“When?”
Another pause.
“Bring him.”
Dominic ended the call.
Harper knew immediately.
“What happened?”
“Finn found the leak.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Dominic looked toward the door.
“My cousin.”
Marco arrived twenty minutes later.
Harper had never met him.
He looked younger than Dominic.
Maybe thirty-five.
Expensive suit.
Perfect hair.
Blood on his lower lip.
Leo pushed him into a chair.
Marco glared.
“You’re making a mistake.”
Dominic stood across from him.
“No.”
“You think I helped Rossy?”
“I know you did.”
“You have nothing.”
Finn appeared on a monitor.
“Actually, we have your encrypted messages, three transfers totaling eight hundred thousand dollars, and footage of you meeting Rossy’s accountant.”
Marco’s face changed.
Dominic did not.
That was worse.
Harper stood near the stairs.
Teresa had taken Barnaby upstairs.
Dominic had told Harper to leave.
She had refused.
Of course.
Marco looked toward her.
Recognition appeared.
“So that’s her.”
Dominic’s voice became quiet.
“Do not look at her.”
Marco smiled.
“God.”
He laughed.
“This is incredible.”
Dominic stepped closer.
“What is?”
“You.”
Marco looked at Harper again.
“The great Dominic Moretti destroyed by a woman who cries in nightclubs.”
Harper felt Dominic’s anger.
She stepped forward before he could act.
“Actually, I’m doing much better now.”
Marco blinked.
Harper continued.
“Thank you for asking.”
Leo coughed.
Marco glared.
Dominic almost smiled.
Then the humor vanished.
“Why?”
Dominic asked.
Marco leaned back.
“You want the sentimental version?”
“I want the truth.”
“The truth is you were never supposed to have everything.”
Marco’s voice filled with years of resentment.
“Your father chose you.”
“The captains chose you.”
“Teresa treated you like the second coming.”
“Everybody followed you.”
His face twisted.
“And what did I get?”
Dominic stared.
“A seat at my table.”
“I wanted your chair.”
There it was.
Simple.
Ugly.
Human.
Harper understood something.
The mafia world dressed betrayal in money and blood.
But underneath, the emotions were painfully ordinary.
Jealousy.
Pride.
Resentment.
The same things that destroyed marriages, friendships, families.
Dominic asked one question.
“Did you give Rossy the cabin?”
Marco smiled.
“Yes.”
Harper saw Dominic absorb the answer.
The attack.
The bullets.
The men entering the cabin.
Marco had sent them.
“Did you give him Teresa?”
“No.”
“Did you give him Harper’s apartment?”
“Yes.”
Dominic moved.
Leo caught his arm.
“Boss.”
Dominic stopped.
Barely.
Marco smiled.
“See?”
He looked at Harper.
“You changed him.”
Harper stepped forward.
“No.”
Marco’s smile faded.
“He changed himself.”
She looked at Dominic.
“He could kill you right now.”
Marco swallowed.
Harper continued.
“But that wouldn’t undo anything.”
Dominic stared at her.
Then at Marco.
“What would you do?”
The question shocked everyone.
Harper looked at him.
“You’re asking me?”
“Yes.”
Marco laughed nervously.
“This is insane.”
Dominic ignored him.
Harper thought carefully.
“Make him useless.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“Explain.”
“Rossy paid him because Marco had access.”
She looked at Finn’s screen.
“Accounts.”
“Routes.”
“Names.”
“Take those away.”
Marco’s face paled.
Harper continued.
“Then give law enforcement enough anonymous information to make him spend the next ten years explaining money he can’t explain.”
Leo stared at her.
Finn grinned through the monitor.
Dominic looked almost proud.
Marco surged from the chair.
“You little—”
Dominic hit him once.
Marco collapsed.
Dominic adjusted his cuff.
“He was warned not to look at you.”
Harper sighed.
“We were making progress.”
“He moved aggressively.”
“He insulted me.”
“That too.”
Leo pulled Marco upright.
Dominic looked at his cousin.
“You wanted my chair.”
His voice was cold.
“Now you can spend the next decade hoping the federal prison cafeteria has comfortable seating.”
Marco’s arrogance vanished.
“Dominic.”
“Take him.”
Leo dragged him away.
Hours later, Harper found Dominic alone on the roof terrace.
The city glowed around him.
She approached.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
The honesty surprised her.
Harper stood beside him.
“You trusted him.”
“He was family.”
“So was Chloe.”
Dominic looked at her.
Harper continued.
“Different scale.”
“Same wound.”
He nodded.
For several minutes, they watched traffic below.
Then Dominic spoke.
“You should leave.”
Harper turned.
“What?”
“Rossy is losing options.”
His expression was controlled.
“That makes him more dangerous.”
“We’ve established this.”
“I can put you somewhere else.”
“No.”
“Harper.”
“No.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“I can protect you better if I am not emotionally involved.”
The sentence hurt.
Harper hid it badly.
“Then stop being emotionally involved.”
Dominic stared.
“Can you?”
Silence.
Harper’s throat tightened.
“Exactly.”
She stepped closer.
“You keep acting like caring about someone is a tactical error.”
“In my world, it often is.”
“Then maybe your world is wrong.”
“You cannot fix my world.”
“I’m not trying to.”
Her voice softened.
“I’m trying to decide whether there’s room inside it for me.”
Dominic went still.
Harper continued.
“I don’t want your money.”
“I don’t want armed men following me forever.”
“I don’t want someone checking my phone.”
“And I definitely don’t want to belong to you.”
Dominic’s eyes held hers.
Harper touched his chest.
“But I might want to stand beside you.”
His hand covered hers.
“That is more dangerous.”
“I know.”
“You deserve something ordinary.”
Harper smiled sadly.
“I spent three years chasing ordinary.”
She thought of Caleb.
“The flowers.”
“The apartment.”
“The wedding.”
“The matching towels.”
“I had ordinary.”
Her eyes met Dominic’s.
“It was a lie.”
Dominic touched her face.
“And you think this is truth?”
“No.”
Harper leaned into his palm.
“I think this is complicated.”
A faint smile appeared.
“That is the most accurate description anyone has given me.”
Then his phone vibrated.
He looked at the message.
Everything changed.
“What?”
Harper asked.
Dominic handed her the phone.
A photograph.
Rossy.
Standing outside a church.
Beside him was a priest.
Harper looked confused.
Then Dominic whispered.
“My uncle.”
A second message arrived.
COME ALONE OR THE OLD MAN DIES.
Harper looked up.
Dominic’s face had become empty.
Too empty.
“Who is he?”
“The man who raised me after my father died.”
Harper’s stomach sank.
Rossy was not merely attacking Dominic’s organization anymore.
He was dismantling his family.
One person at a time.
Dominic reached for his coat.
Harper grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going alone.”
“Yes.”
“That is exactly what he wants.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Dominic looked at the photograph.
“Because some debts are not negotiable.”
He started toward the door.
Harper stepped in front of him.
“Dominic.”
“Move.”
“No.”
His eyes hardened.
“Harper.”
“You taught me something.”
“What?”
“When someone violates a boundary, the response has to be overwhelming.”
Dominic stared.
Harper smiled.
“So stop thinking like a hostage’s nephew.”
Her expression hardened.
“Start thinking like the man Rossy is afraid of.”
For several seconds, Dominic said nothing.
Then something cold and brilliant appeared in his eyes.
He reached for his phone.
“Leo.”
Harper smiled.
There he was.
“Call everyone.”
May you like
Dominic looked at her.
“We’re ending this tonight.”
