Chapter 4 - The Rescue and the Slap
Without hesitation, Dominic slammed his fingers into the latch mechanism and tore the concealed floor panel open.
The light from the parlor spilled into the dark sub-floor pit. Down in the shadows, curled into a tight ball and trembling uncontrollably, was Maisie. Her pink dress was smudged with dust, and tears had left clean streaks down her pale, rosy cheeks.
"Daddy!" she cried out, her small voice cracking.
Dominic reached down with his massive arms, gently cupping her back and lifting her out of the hole as if she weighed nothing at all. He pulled her flush against his broad chest, burying her small head into the lapel of his tailored tuxedo. Maisie wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I've got you, princess. I've got you," Dominic whispered, his voice steady despite the roaring inferno in his chest. "You're safe."
Maisie choked back a sob, pulling back just enough to look into her father's eyes. "She hides me whenever you have guests," Maisie whimpered, her hands trembling. "She told me if I made a noise, you wouldn't love me anymore."
Dominic’s eyes turned to liquid nitrogen. The entire room seemed to drop ten degrees. He kissed Maisie’s forehead gently, then stepped back into the main corridor where Frank and four heavy-armed bodyguards were standing, guns drawn under their jackets.
Dominic carefully set Maisie down behind Frank. "Keep her safe. Nobody touches her. Nobody leaves this building."
"Yes, Mr. Valenti," Frank barked.
Dominic turned and walked back toward the grand ballroom. His gait was deliberate, unstoppable, like an impending storm. He entered the crowded hall, his eyes locking onto Lucinda, who was standing near the center champagne fountain, laughing with a senator.
The crowd noticed Dominic’s march first. The laughter died down. The music faded as the orchestra conductor caught the look on Dominic’s face and lowered his baton. A heavy, terrifying silence fell over the three hundred guests.
Lucinda turned, sensing the sudden shift in the room's energy. She saw Dominic advancing on her. For a fraction of a second, panic flickered across her aristocratic features, but she quickly masked it with a cool, arrogant smirk.
Dominic stopped directly in front of her. He didn't speak. He didn't demand an explanation.
With terrifying speed, Dominic brought his massive right hand across.
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CRACK!
The sound of the open-handed slap echoed like a rifle shot through the cavernous ballroom. The sheer power behind the blow spun Lucinda completely sideways. Her diamond earrings flew through the air, glinting in the light, as she crashed violently into a velvet-upholstered banquet chair, collapsing onto the floor in a heap of emerald silk.
