Chapter 2 - the poison in the pin
The silence inside the great room was deafening. The heavy mahogany doors separating the main hall from the conference room seemed to vibrate with unspoken violence.
Dr. Nolan Mercer dropped to both knees on the marble floor, his hands trembling slightly as he examined the dark brace he had personally fitted for Dominic three weeks prior. Using a small penlight from his scrubs, Dr. Mercer focused on the tiny metallic pin that had sprung from the lower buckle assembly.
"My God, Dominic," Dr. Mercer breathed, his voice barely audible. "This pin isn't just a physical obstruction. It’s coated with a concentrated neuro-inhibitor... a localized paralytic compound. If this had punctured your skin during the meeting, your entire right leg would have suffered irreversible nerve deadening within an hour."
Vincent Hale pulled his sidearm from his shoulder holster with a smooth, practiced motion, his bald head gleaming under the chandelier light. "I'll clear the conference room right now, Boss. None of them leave this cliff."
"No," Dominic commanded coldly, holding up a single hand. His voice was frighteningly steady, a terrifying contrast to the lethal promise in his dark eyes. "If we execute Arthur now, his backers in Chicago will pull their capital before we locate the secondary network. We play this carefully."
Dominic turned his focus toward Clare Rowan. The young maid was still kneeling on the floor, her arms wrapped around little Ellie, her body trembling from the sheer weight of what her daughter had just exposed.
Dominic walked over to them, his cane clicking rhythmically against the floorboards. He stopped two feet away, looking down at the young mother and child.
"What is your name?" Dominic asked, his deep tone dropping into a surprisingly gentle register.
"Clare... Clare Rowan, sir," she answered, her voice quivering as she met his dark, intense gaze. "And this is Ellie."
Dominic looked down at the little blonde girl in the green polka-dot dress. "How did you know the buckle was changed, Ellie?"
Ellie looked up at the giant Mafia boss without a trace of fear. "The shiny button was on the left yesterday when the doctor put it on. Today, the man in the dark suit turned it to the right with a little silver key while you were getting your water."
Clare gasped, looking at her daughter in absolute shock. "Ellie... you saw him do that?"
"He told me to go away," Ellie nodded innocently. "So I waited for you."
Dominic looked up at Vincent. "Transfer Clare and Ellie to the master suite on the top floor immediately. Double the perimeter guard on their quarters. They don't leave my sight until this house is scrubbed clean."
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Clare stood up quickly, clutching Ellie tight. "Mr. Vale, please... we are just staff. We live in the quarters near the kitchen—"
"You are no longer staff, Clare," Dominic interrupted, his dark eyes locking onto hers with absolute authority. "Your daughter just saved my life. In my world, that makes you royalty... and my personal responsibility."
