Chapter 196
Dominic’s POV
The marina was chaos when I arrived. Julian’s speedboat cut through the water like a knife, its twin engines screaming as we pushed toward the coordinates Santos had given me. My ribs felt like broken glass with every bounce against the waves, but I barely noticed the pain. All! could think about was Aria, somewhere out there in the darkness, waiting for me to find her.
“Contact ahead,” Julian shouted over the engine noise, pointing toward a cluster of lights in the distance. “Looks like a floating warehouse. Perfect place to hide someone.”
I checked my weapon for the third time in five minutes. The Glock was loaded, safety off, ready to paint the walls with Nico’s blood. “How many men do we have left?”
“Twelve, including us. Santos is coordinating from shore with a sniper rifle, but at this distance, he’s mostly useless.”
Twelve men against whatever force Nico had assembled. Not great odds, but I’d worked with worse.
The floating warehouse came into view as we approached. It was exactly the kind of place Nico would choose, isolated and defensible, with multiple escape routes by water. Lights blazed from the upper levels, and I could see movement behind the windows.
“There,” I pointed to a smaller speed boat tied to the dock. “That’s one of Nico’s. He’s here.”
Julian cut the engines as we glided toward the structure. The sudden silence was deafening after hours of gunfire and explosions. My men spread out across the dock, weapons ready, moving with the practiced efficiency of soldiers who knew death was waiting around every corner.
I took point, leading them toward the main entrance. The metal door was unlocked, which should have been my first warning that something was wrong. Nico was many things, but careless wasn’t one of them.
The interior was a maze of shipping containers and makeshift rooms. Perfect for an ambush, but also perfect for getting lost. I signaled for my men to spread out, covering multiple angles as we moved deeper into the structure.
“Dominic.” Nico’s voice echoed from somewhere above us, amplified by speakers hidden throughout the warehouse. “Right on time. I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”
I didn’t respond. Let him talk. Every word he wasted was another second for my men to get into position.
“You brought friends,” Nico continued. “How disappointing. I thought we had an understanding about coming alone.”
“The understanding was that you’d be dead by now,” I called back, moving toward a staircase that led to the upper level. “Guess we’re both behind schedule.”
A door slammed somewhere in the distance, followed by the sound of footsteps on metal. Nico was moving, trying to stay ahead of us. Good. Running men made mistakes.
I reached the second level and found myself in a long corridor lined with doors. Most were locked, but I could hear voices behind one of them. Female voices. One of them might be Aria.
“Luca, take three men and clear the north wing. Julian, you’re with me.”
We moved down the corridor, checking each room systematically. Empty. Empty. Storage closet. Empty. Then I heard it, a sound that made my blood
turn to ice.
Aria screaming.
I ran toward the sound, abandoning all pretense of stealth. The door at the end of the corridor was slightly ajar, light spilling out into the hallway. I kicked it open and stepped inside, weapon raised.
Chapter 196
Aria was tied to a chair in the center of the room, blood streaming from cuts on her face and hands, Standing behind her was Nico, a knife pressed against her throat. But there was someone else in the room, someone I hadn’t expected to see.
Victoria Romano stood near the far wall, watching the scene with cold amusement. She looked exactly the same as she had eight years ago, beautiful and deadly and completely without conscience.
“Hello, Dominic,” she said casually, as if we were meeting for coffee instead of a hostage exchange. “You’re looking well. A bit singed around the edges,
but well.”
“Let her go, Nico.” I kept my weapon trained on him, but the angle was wrong. One wrong move and Aria would die before I could pull the trigger.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Nico’s grip tightened on the knife, and a thin line of blood appeared on Aria’s neck. “You see, I’ve grown quite attached to your little dancer. She’s been such good company.”
Aria’s eyes met mine across the room. There was pain there, and fear, but also something else. Determination. She was planning something, I could see it in the set of her jaw.
“What do you want?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Your weapon. On the floor. Now.” Nico’s voice was steady, confident. He thought he’d won.
I hesitated. The moment I gave up my gun, I became just another victim. But if I didn’t, Aria would die in front of me.
“Tick tock, Dominic.” Nico pressed the knife deeper, and more blood flowed. “Say goodbye to your queen.”
That was his mistake. The phrase triggered something in Aria, some signal we’d never discussed but somehow both understood. She threw her weight sideways, chair and all, pulling away from the knife just as I fired.
The bullet caught Nico center mass, spinning him away from Aria and into the wall. He looked down at the spreading red stain on his chest with genuine surprise, as if he couldn’t believe his perfect plan had failed.
“You always were too fucking clever for your own good,” I told him, walking closer.
But before I could finish him, Victoria moved. She was faster than I’d expected, crossing the room in three quick steps to grab Aria’s chair and drag it toward the door.
“I wouldn’t,” she said pleasantly, pressing her own gun against Aria’s temple. “Unless you want to see her brains decorating the wall.”
I froze, caught between two targets. Nico was bleeding out but still dangerous, and Victoria had Aria at gunpoint. One wrong move and everything I’d fought for would be lost.
“Choose,” Victoria said softly. “Kill him and save your pride, or save her and let me walk away. You can’t have both.”
Nico was trying to say something, blood bubbling from his lips. Probably some final curse or threat. I put two more rounds in his chest to shut him up, then turned back to Victoria.
She was already backing toward the door, dragging Aria with her. “Smart choice. But not smart enough.”
The explosion that followed knocked me to the ground and filled the air with smoke and debris. When I could see again, Victoria and Aria were gone. Only the open window at the far end of the room showed where they’d escaped.
I stumbled to the window and looked out. A speedboat was racing away from the warehouse, disappearing into the darkness beyond the harbor lights. Victoria had planned her escape route perfectly.
“Boss!” Luca’s voice came from behind me. “You hit?”
“I’m fine.” I turned away from the window and looked down at Nico’s body. Blood was pooling beneath him, mixing with the dirt and debris on the floor “What’s our status?”
08:16 Thu 26 Jun
Chapter 196
*Six men down. The rest are securing the perimeter, but there’s no sign of the Romano woman or Aria.”
Six more good men dead because I’d walked into another trap. Because I’d let my emotions cloud my judgment. Because I’d chosen love over strategi and lost both.
I knelt down next to Nico’s corpse and checked his pockets. Phone, wallet, keys to the speedboat outside. Nothing useful. Nothing that would help me
find Aria.
“One down,” I muttered, standing up and brushing dirt off my knees. “One more to go.”
“Boss, we need to talk.” Luca moved closer, his expression grim. “Victoria Romano isn’t just another rival. She’s got connections we don’t, resources we can’t match. And now that she’s got nothing left to lose…”
“She’s more dangerous than ever,” I finished. “I know.”
“So what’s the play?”
I walked back to the window and stared out at the empty harbor. Somewhere out there, Victoria was torturing the woman I loved. Every second I wasted was another second of pain for Aria.
“We need help,” I said finally. “More men, more resources, more connections.”
“You thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
“The Torrino family.” I turned away from the window and headed for the door. “Marco’s been trying to move into our territory for months. Time to see how badly he wants it.”
The meeting was arranged for dawn at a neutral location, a 24–hour diner on the outskirts of the city that served as an informal embassy between the families. Marco Torrino arrived with two bodyguards and a reputation for ruthlessness that rivaled my own.
He was older than me, maybe fifty, with silver hair and the kind of face that had seen too much violence. We’d been enemies for years, but we’d also developed a grudging respect for each other’s capabilities.
“Dominic De Luca,” he said, sliding into the booth across from me. “You look like hell.”
“Feel worse.” I signaled the waitress for coffee. “Thanks for coming.”
“Your message was… intriguing. Something about mutual enemies and temporary alliances.” Marco leaned back, studying me with shrewd eyes. “What’s this really about?”
“Victoria Romano has something that belongs to me. I want it back.”
“The Romano woman? I thought she was dead.”
“She’s very much alive. And very much in possession of something I need.”
Marco smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Something? Or someone?”
I didn’t answer directly. “I need your boats, your men, your contacts. In exchange, I’m prepared to make you an offer.”
“I’m listening.”
“The docks. All of them. Full control no interferonco from
Chapter 196
“Six men down. The rest are securing the perimeter, but there’s no sign of the Romano woman or Aria.”
Six more good men dead because I’d walked into another trap. Because I’d let my emotions cloud my judgment. Because I’d chosen love over strategy and lost both.
I knelt down next to Nico’s corpse and checked his pockets. Phone, wallet, keys to the speedboat outside. Nothing useful. Nothing that would help me
find Aria.
“One down,” I muttered, standing up and brushing dirt off my knees. “One more to go.”
“Boss, we need to talk.” Luca moved closer, his expression grim. “Victoria Romano isn’t just another rival. She’s got connections we don’t, resources we can’t match. And now that she’s got nothing left to lose…”
“She’s more dangerous than ever,” I finished. “I know.”
“So what’s the play?”
I walked back to the window and stared out at the empty harbor. Somewhere out there, Victoria was torturing the woman I loved. Every second I wasted was another second of pain for Aria.
“We need help,” I said finally. “More men, more resources, more connections.”
“You thinking what I think you’re thinking?”
“The Torrino family.” I turned away from the window and headed for the door. “Marco’s been trying to move into our territory for months. Time to see how badly he wants it.”
The meeting was arranged for dawn at a neutral location, a 24–hour diner on the outskirts of the city that served as an informal embassy between the families. Marco Torrino arrived with two bodyguards and a reputation for ruthlessness that rivaled my own.
He was older than me, maybe fifty, with silver hair and the kind of face that had seen too much violence. We’d been enemies for years, but we’d also developed a grudging respect for each other’s capabilities.
“Dominic De Luca,” he said, sliding into the booth across from me. “You look like hell.”
“Feel worse.” I signaled the waitress for coffee. “Thanks for coming.”
“Your message was… intriguing. Something about mutual enemies and temporary alliances.” Marco leaned back, studying me with shrewd eyes. “What’s this really about?”
“Victoria Romano has something that belongs to me. I want it back.”
“The Romano woman? I thought she was dead.”
“She’s very much alive. And very much in possession of something I need.”
Marco smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Something? Or someone?”
I didn’t answer directly. “I need your boats, your men, your contacts. In exchange, I’m prepared to make you an offer.”
“I’m listening.”
“The docks. All of them. Full control, no interference from my organization.” It was a massive concession, one that would cost me millions in revenue. But Aria was worth more than money.
Marco’s eyebrows rose. “The entire waterfront? That’s… generous. What’s the catch?”
“No catch. You help me find Victoria Romano and bring her to me alive, and the territory is yours.”
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Chapter 196
“And if I can’t deliver?”
“Then you get nothing, and we go back to being enemies,
Marce was quiet for a long moment, considering the offer. The docks were prima real estate in our world, a gateway for drugs, weapons, and Human trafficking. Control of the waterfront meant control of hall the city’s criminal enterpritet
“You’ll get your land,” I said finally, meeting his eyes across the table. “But only if you deliver her to me
Marco extended his hand across the table. “Deal”
As we shook hands, I couldn’t help but think about the price I was paying. Territory that had taken years to secure, resources that represented decades of work. All of it sacrificed for one woman.
But as I thought about Aria’s face, about the fear in her eyes and the blood on her skin, I knew I’d pay it again without hesitation.
Victoria Romano had made one crucial mistake. She’d taken something that belonged to me..
And I always collected my debts.
AP
