Chapter 5 - The summit at the docks
The midnight air over the city’s industrial shipping docks was freezing, thick with the smell of saltwater and rusting iron. The docks were neutral territory, a place where rival bosses met when blood was about to be spilled.
Calder’s convoy of armored SUVs rolled onto the concrete pier, their headlights cutting through the heavy fog. The vehicles formed a precise, defensive wall.
Calder stepped out of the lead vehicle. He wore his long black overcoat, the collar turned up against the wind. His presence alone was enough to dominate the massive, empty space. He walked to the center of the pier, flanked by Marco and six intimidating, expressionless bodyguards in dark coats.
Waiting for them under the flickering glow of a halogen streetlamp was Victor Vance, the head of the rival family. Victor was an older, ruthless man, accompanied by a dozen armed mercenaries.
Victor offered a cold, arrogant smile as Calder approached. “Calder Moretti. I was surprised to get your call. You rarely leave your fortress these days.”
Calder stopped ten feet away. He did not smile. He did not raise his voice. He stood with the unshakeable, deeply masculine confidence of a king who knew he held absolute power.
“You crossed into my territory today, Victor,” Calder stated calmly, his dark eyes fixed on the older boss. “You took a woman from a street in my district. I want her back.”
Victor chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. “That woman is a thief, Calder. She stole something from my family years ago. This is a private matter. It has nothing to do with the Moretti syndicate.”
“Everything in my city has to do with my syndicate,” Calder replied, his tone smooth and deadly. “And Sarah Hayes is no longer a civilian. She is under my protection.”
Victor’s smile vanished. He stepped forward, his mercenaries instinctively shifting their hands toward their concealed weapons. Calder’s men mirrored the movement flawlessly, their discipline absolute.
“You don't want this fight, Calder,” Victor threatened, his voice harsh. “The drive she holds can ruin the commission. If you stand in my way, you will be fighting every family on the eastern seaboard.”
Calder reached into his overcoat and pulled out the encrypted titanium flash drive. He held it up in the pale light.
Victor’s eyes widened in sheer, naked greed. “You have it.”
May you like
“I have it,” Calder confirmed softly. “And if you want it, you will deliver Sarah Hayes to me unharmed. You have one hour to bring her to the old rail yard. If you fail, or if she has a single scratch on her, I will not just destroy this drive. I will systematically dismantle your entire bloodline.”
Calder lowered his hand, his piercing gaze locking Victor in place. Without another word, he turned his back on the rival boss and walked calmly toward his SUV, his heavy overcoat billowing in the freezing wind.
