Chapter 9 - Rossy Finally Learned Why Dominic Never BeggedThe church stood alone on the edge of an abandoned industrial neighborhood.
St. Michael’s.
Red brick.
Broken stained glass.
A rusted cross.
Dominic had been baptized there.
His brother’s funeral had been held there.
His mother had lit candles beneath the statue of Mary every Sunday until cancer made climbing the church steps impossible.
Rossy knew exactly what he was doing.
Harper understood that the moment she saw Dominic looking through the windshield.
This was not merely a location.
It was memory weaponized.
“You don’t have to go inside.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Not alone.”
“That part changed.”
Harper smiled faintly.
Leo’s men surrounded the neighborhood.
Finn had disabled nearby cameras.
Two police frequencies were being monitored.
Every exit had been mapped.
Rossy expected an emotional Dominic.
He would receive a strategic one.
Dominic touched Harper’s cheek.
“You stay in the vehicle.”
She opened her mouth.
“No.”
His thumb moved gently.
“This time, no argument.”
Harper studied him.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes.
“You agreed too quickly.”
“I’m growing.”
“You’re lying.”
Harper smiled.
“Go save your uncle.”
Dominic sighed.
“I am going to regret trusting you.”
“Probably.”
He left.
Harper waited exactly ninety seconds.
Then exited the SUV.
Leo appeared from the darkness.
“I knew it.”
Harper looked at him.
“You knew what?”
“That you wouldn’t stay.”
“Then why are you surprised?”
“I’m not.”
Leo handed her a bulletproof vest.
Harper stared.
“You brought this?”
“Dominic told me you’d disobey.”
She blinked.
“He planned for me disobeying?”
“He plans for everything.”
Harper almost laughed.
Then put on the vest.
Inside the church, Dominic walked alone down the central aisle.
Candles burned near the altar.
Rossy stood beneath the cross.
Father Antonio sat tied to a chair.
The priest looked exhausted but alive.
“Dominic.”
Rossy smiled.
“You came.”
“You have something of mine.”
Father Antonio shook his head.
“Do not bargain for me.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You’re still giving orders.”
“I baptized you.”
“You nearly drowned me.”
“You were an ugly baby.”
Rossy stared.
“Are you two finished?”
Father Antonio shrugged.
“I have waited thirty-eight years to tell him that.”
Dominic almost smiled.
Rossy pointed a gun at the priest.
The smile disappeared.
“Codes.”
Dominic removed a flash drive.
Rossy laughed.
“Again?”
“This one is real.”
“Put it down.”
Dominic placed it on the floor.
Rossy gestured.
“Kick it.”
The drive slid across marble.
Rossy’s man collected it.
“Now kneel.”
Dominic did not move.
Rossy smiled.
“I want to see it.”
“See what?”
“The great Dominic Moretti on his knees.”
Father Antonio shouted.
“Do not.”
Rossy pressed the gun against his head.
“Kneel.”
Dominic slowly lowered himself.
Outside, Harper watched through a side window.
Her chest tightened.
She had never seen Dominic submit to anyone.
Rossy walked closer.
“This is what she did to you.”
Dominic looked up.
“Who?”
“Harper.”
Rossy laughed.
“You used to understand power.”
“I still do.”
“No.”
“You became sentimental.”
Rossy kicked him.
Dominic fell sideways.
Harper moved.
Leo caught her.
“Wait.”
Rossy continued.
“You know what your mistake was?”
Dominic wiped blood from his mouth.
“Listening to you?”
Rossy hit him with the gun.
Harper flinched.
Leo whispered.
“Wait.”
Inside, Rossy crouched.
“You believed fear made you powerful.”
Dominic smiled through blood.
“No.”
Rossy frowned.
Dominic looked directly toward the side window.
Toward Harper.
Then he said:
“People who love nothing are predictable.”
Rossy’s smile faded.
Dominic continued.
“They believe everyone who cares can be controlled.”
He slowly stood.
Rossy pointed the gun.
Dominic did not stop.
“You thought Harper made me weaker.”
Another step.
“You thought Teresa made me weaker.”
Another.
“My uncle.”
“My family.”
“You kept collecting people I cared about because you believed each one was another chain around my throat.”
Rossy backed away.
Dominic smiled.
“But you misunderstood.”
“What?”
Dominic’s voice became quiet.
“They gave me reasons to survive you.”
The church lights died.
Leo moved.
Harper moved with him.
Gunfire erupted.
Dominic tackled Rossy.
Father Antonio dropped sideways with the chair.
Harper ran toward him.
She cut the rope with the knife Leo had given her.
“You’re Harper?”
the priest asked.
“This is a strange time for introductions.”
“You’re prettier than Dominic deserves.”
Harper stared.
“Does everybody in his family do this?”
“Yes.”
A bullet hit the altar.
Harper pulled him down.
Leo’s men secured the side aisles.
Dominic and Rossy fought near the sanctuary.
No guns now.
Hands.
Fists.
Years of hatred.
Rossy struck Dominic’s injured shoulder.
Dominic staggered.
Rossy grabbed a broken wooden candle stand.
Harper saw it.
“Dominic!”
He turned.
Too late.
Rossy swung.
Dominic blocked most of it.
Wood cracked against his forearm.
He fell.
Rossy reached for a fallen gun.
Harper was closer.
She moved.
She kicked the weapon.
It slid beneath a pew.
Rossy looked at her.
Pure hatred.
“You.”
Harper backed away.
Rossy lunged.
Dominic caught him from behind.
The two men crashed into the pews.
Leo approached with his weapon raised.
“Boss!”
Dominic pinned Rossy.
Rossy laughed.
“You won’t kill me?”
Dominic’s hands tightened.
Harper saw the decision happening.
Everything Dominic had been taught told him to finish it.
Blood answered blood.
Betrayal answered death.
Rossy smiled.
“Do it.”
Dominic looked at Harper.
She said nothing.
This decision had to belong to him.
Dominic slowly released Rossy.
Rossy’s smile disappeared.
“What are you doing?”
Dominic stood.
“Something worse.”
Sirens approached.
Real sirens.
Rossy went pale.
Dominic adjusted his damaged sleeve.
“Finn sent financial records to federal investigators three hours ago.”
Rossy stared.
“Your accounts.”
“Your shell companies.”
“Your customs payments.”
“Your murders.”
Dominic leaned closer.
“You wanted me on my knees.”
His voice became quiet.
“Instead, you’re going to spend the rest of your life begging men with badges for daylight.”
Rossy lunged.
Leo slammed him down.
Federal agents entered moments later.
Harper stared at Dominic.
“You called the government?”
He looked mildly offended.
“Temporarily.”
She laughed.
Father Antonio crossed himself.
“Miracles happen.”
Outside, dawn began turning the sky gray.
Rossy was taken away in handcuffs.
He shouted threats.
Nobody listened.
Harper stood on the church steps.
Dominic joined her.
His lip was bleeding.
His shoulder hurt.
His suit was ruined.
Harper smiled.
“You look terrible.”
“So do you.”
“I wasn’t hit repeatedly with church furniture.”
“Technicality.”
She touched his face.
“It’s over.”
“No.”
Harper’s smile faded.
Dominic looked toward the agents.
“Rossy is over.”
“But my life remains what it is.”
He faced her.
“And now you need to decide what yours becomes.”
Harper’s chest tightened.
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re free.”
She stared.
“No guards.”
“No safe houses.”
“No instructions.”
Dominic continued.
“Your apartment is secure.”
“Barnaby is safe.”
“Your employer believes you were dealing with a family emergency.”
He swallowed.
“You can go home.”
Harper looked at him.
“And you?”
“I go back to work.”
The distance in his voice hurt.
“You’re sending me away.”
“I’m giving you the choice I should have given you the first night.”
Harper’s eyes filled.
Dominic continued.
“You met me under coercion.”
“I controlled where you went.”
“I made decisions for you.”
His jaw tightened.
“Whatever happened between us happened inside circumstances you did not choose.”
Harper understood.
And suddenly loved him a little for saying it.
He stepped backward.
“So I am removing myself from the decision.”
“Dominic.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“If you choose me now, I need to know you did it while every door was unlocked.”
Harper could not speak.
Dominic touched her cheek once.
Then walked away.
He did not look back.
Harper watched him enter a black SUV.
The vehicle disappeared.
Father Antonio stepped beside her.
“He loves you.”
Harper wiped a tear.
“He has a strange way of showing it.”
The priest smiled.
“He is a strange man.”
Harper laughed weakly.
Then looked toward the road.
For the first time since opening the wrong VIP door, nobody was telling her where to go.
Nobody was locking anything.
Nobody was protecting her from her own decisions.
May you like
She was free.
And Harper discovered freedom could be terrifying when you finally had to decide what you actually wanted.
