Chapter 8 - Blood Brothers
Norah called Dominic.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
She called his security chief.
“Turn the convoy around.”
“He ordered us to remain 2 miles back.”
“The message was fake.”
Silence.
Then engines roared.
At the Long Island estate, Dominic entered alone.
The house had been abandoned since Alessandro Rossy died.
Dust covered the furniture.
A grandfather clock remained frozen at 2:17.
The time Alessandro had suffered his fatal heart attack.
Dominic entered the study.
Julian was there.
Tied to a chair.
Blood covered his face.
Dominic understood immediately.
“Vittorio.”
His uncle stepped from behind the old desk.
“You were always slow when emotion was involved.”
Armed men appeared.
Dominic raised his hands.
Vittorio smiled.
“Two brothers. One room. Exactly how Alessandro should have left things.”
Julian spat blood.
“He never loved you.”
Vittorio struck him.
Dominic lunged.
Three guns lifted.
He stopped.
Vittorio explained what had actually happened.
He had engineered Julian’s resentment.
Helped fake his death.
Promised him half the empire.
Then waited.
When Dominic remained unmarried and childless, Vittorio believed time would solve everything.
Then Norah became pregnant.
The trust changed automatically.
Vittorio’s decades-long plan collapsed overnight.
“So you drugged her,” Dominic said.
“I tried to prevent a complication.”
Dominic's expression became lethal.
Vittorio smiled.
“That look. Alessandro had it too.”
“You killed him.”
Julian stopped struggling.
Dominic stared.
Vittorio poured himself a drink.
“A small adjustment to his medication.”
For the first time, both brothers looked at their uncle with exactly the same expression.
Then headlights flooded the windows.
Vittorio frowned.
Norah stepped through the front entrance.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Dominic’s face changed completely.
“Norah, get out!”
Vittorio laughed.
“You brought the pregnant waitress?”
Norah raised her phone.
“No.”
Red and blue lights appeared beyond the gates.
“I brought witnesses.”
Vittorio’s men turned.
That hesitation was enough.
Julian broke the wooden chair against the wall.
Dominic attacked the nearest guard.
The room exploded into movement.
Norah dropped behind a marble pillar.
Federal agents stormed the estate.
Vittorio ran.
Dominic pursued him through the rear corridor.
They reached the old greenhouse.
Vittorio turned with a pistol.
“You throw away an empire for a waitress?”
Dominic stopped.
“No.”
Vittorio aimed.
Dominic looked almost peaceful.
“For my family.”
A gunshot cracked.
Vittorio collapsed.
Julian stood behind him.
Smoke curled from the weapon.
Dominic stared at his brother.
Julian lowered the gun.
“You owe me.”
Police flooded the greenhouse.
Vittorio survived.
Barely.
For the first time in decades, he would face a courtroom instead of controlling one from the shadows.
Julian surrendered voluntarily.
As agents handcuffed him, Dominic approached.
Neither brother knew what to say.
Finally Julian looked toward Norah.
“Take care of him.”
Norah folded her arms.
“He's significantly more work than advertised.”
Julian laughed.
Dominic did too.
It was the first time the brothers had laughed together in years.
Then Julian was taken away.
Norah stepped toward Dominic.
“You promised you’d come back.”
“You came after me.”
“You weren't answering.”
“I was being held at gunpoint.”
“Terrible excuse.”
Dominic pulled her against him.
For once she did not resist.
His forehead touched hers.
The police lights flashed beyond the glass.
Their world was still burning.
But they were alive.
Then an FBI agent approached.
“Mr. Rossy?”
Dominic turned.
“You need to come with us.”
Norah’s heart sank.
“Why?”
May you like
The agent held up a warrant.
“Dominic Rossy, you're under arrest.”
