Chapter 6 - The Price of Becoming LegitimateChanging an empire proved harder than conquering one.
Violence was simple.
Dominic understood violence.
A threat appeared.
You eliminated it.
A rival stole territory.
You took it back.
A man betrayed you.
He disappeared.
But legitimate business required patience.
Regulators.
Taxes.
Auditors.
Boards.
Labor laws.
Insurance.
Banking compliance.
Dominic hated almost all of it.
“What do you mean we need another permit?”
Norah did not look up from her laptop.
“It means we need another permit.”
“We own the building.”
“You own the building. The city owns the right to make you miserable.”
Dominic glared at the application.
“I could call the commissioner.”
“No.”
“I know him.”
“That's the problem.”
Dominic leaned back.
Across the office, Isabella slept in a portable crib.
She was eight months old.
Lily sat beside her doing homework.
The Russo command center had changed.
Weapons still existed.
Guards still patrolled.
But children's drawings now hung beside maps.
Baby bottles occasionally appeared next to encrypted phones.
Norah liked the contradiction.
It reminded everyone what the transformation was for.
Within a year, Russo Development had become one of the city's largest private construction firms.
Russo Logistics moved legal freight through three ports.
Russo Security employed former soldiers and police officers.
The money was cleaner.
The risks were different.
Then the federal subpoenas arrived.
Twenty-three of them.
Dominic placed the stack on Norah's desk.
“What is this?”
“The government saying hello.”
“They're investigating everything.”
“They should.”
His eyes narrowed.
Norah continued.
“We have twenty years of dirty money moving through these companies. You didn't think becoming legitimate erased history.”
Dominic walked to the window.
“What do they know?”
“Enough to ask questions.”
Leo entered.
“Federal agents are at the front gate.”
Dominic turned.
“How many?”
“Six.”
“Warrant?”
“No.”
“Then they can leave.”
Norah stood.
“No.”
Both men looked at her.
“We let them in.”
Dominic stared.
“Absolutely not.”
“If you send them away, they assume we're hiding something.”
“We are hiding something.”
“Then we'd better decide what we're willing to expose.”
The meeting took place in the formal living room.
Special Agent Daniel Mercer led the federal team.
Forty-five.
Calm.
Unimpressed by Dominic.
That alone made him unusual.
Mercer declined coffee.
“We're investigating financial crimes associated with Russo-controlled businesses.”
Dominic sat opposite him.
“My attorneys will respond.”
Mercer looked at Norah.
“And you are?”
“Norah Hayes.”
“I know.”
Dominic's posture changed.
Mercer noticed.
“I also know you're the mother of Mr. Russo's youngest daughter.”
“What does that have to do with financial crimes?”
“Potential ownership interests.”
“I own no shares.”
“Yet.”
Dominic's eyes hardened.
Norah touched his knee beneath the table.
Not now.
Mercer opened a folder.
“We're not here about old street wars.”
“Then what are you here about?” Norah asked.
“Someone is moving money through your new legitimate companies.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“That is generally what companies do.”
“Russian money.”
The smile disappeared.
Mercer slid a photograph across the table.
A cargo manifest.
Russo Logistics.
A container supposedly carrying industrial machinery.
Inside, federal agents had found twenty million dollars in bearer bonds.
Dominic looked at Leo.
Leo shook his head.
Norah examined the manifest.
The authorization signature belonged to Dominic.
Except it didn't.
Norah had seen his signature thousands of times.
“This is forged.”
Mercer looked at her.
“You're certain?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Dominic's D drops below the baseline. That one doesn't.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You know my handwriting?”
“I sign birthday cards for you.”
Mercer almost smiled.
Norah continued examining the document.
The shipment originated from Rotterdam.
Approved by Russo Logistics' European office.
“Who runs Europe?” she asked.
Leo answered.
“Matteo Russo.”
Dominic's cousin.
Norah looked at him.
Dominic's face had already changed.
Matteo arrived in America two days later.
He walked into the compound smiling.
Tall.
Elegant.
Forty.
Unlike Dominic, Matteo wore his danger beneath charm.
He hugged Dominic.
Kissed Norah's cheek.
Brought Lily a bracelet and Isabella an absurdly expensive stuffed elephant.
Then he sat at the family dinner table as though federal agents had not just connected him to international money laundering.
“You forged my signature,” Dominic said.
Matteo continued cutting his steak.
“Allegedly.”
Norah watched him.
“Twenty million dollars.”
Matteo smiled.
“You've been reading files again.”
“I read everything.”
“I've heard.”
Dominic put down his fork.
“Why?”
Matteo finally looked at him.
“Because someone has to remember what this family is.”
The room chilled.
“We're changing,” Dominic said.
“You're surrendering.”
“We're making more money legally.”
“This was never about money.”
“Then what?”
“Power.”
Matteo leaned forward.
“Governments don't respect businessmen. Criminals don't respect businessmen. Men respected Antonio Russo because they feared him.”
“My father wanted legitimacy.”
Matteo laughed.
“According to Greco's papers?”
“You knew?”
That was the moment.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But Norah saw Matteo realize he had said too much.
Dominic saw it too.
“You knew Greco killed my father.”
Matteo stood.
Leo moved toward him.
Matteo raised his hands.
“I knew Greco claimed responsibility.”
“How long?”
“Years.”
Dominic's face emptied.
“You let me sit at tables with him.”
“I needed stability.”
“You let my father's murderer advise me.”
“I protected the family.”
Dominic crossed the room.
Norah caught his arm.
“Not here.”
His eyes remained on Matteo.
“Why?”
“Because Lily is upstairs.”
That reached him.
Dominic released a breath.
“Leo.”
“Yes.”
“Take Matteo to the guest house.”
Matteo smiled.
“You're proving my point, cousin.”
Dominic turned.
“What point?”
“She made you weak.”
Norah expected rage.
Instead Dominic smiled.
Coldly.
“No.”
He looked toward the ceiling, where their daughters slept.
“She gave me something worth being strong for.”
Matteo's smile disappeared.
By morning, Matteo was gone.
The guards assigned to the guest house were unconscious.
A vehicle was missing.
And on Dominic's desk lay a single envelope.
Inside was a photograph of Isabella.
Taken through a telephoto lens.
Written beneath it:
You abandoned the old world. The old world has not abandoned you.
Norah stared at her daughter's picture.
Dominic stood beside her.
His hands began to shake.
Norah took the photograph from him.
“No.”
He looked at her.
“You don't get to become the monster again.”
“He photographed our daughter.”
“I know.”
“I will find him.”
“Yes.”
“And when I do—”
“You will remember why we're doing this.”
Dominic stared.
Norah placed the photograph facedown.
“Matteo wants the old Dominic.”
She stepped closer.
“He knows how that man thinks.”
May you like
Dominic said nothing.
“So don't give him the man he knows.”
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