Chapter 7 - The brother's betrayal
Silas kicked his door open and stumbled out into the mud. He was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, but he held a weapon tightly in his hand, aiming it back at Dominic. The two men stood facing each other in the pouring rain, the headlights of the crashed cars casting long, dramatic shadows.
Inside the SUV, Hannah managed to unbuckle her seatbelt. She held Grace close, kicking frantically at the jammed passenger door until it popped open. She scrambled out into the cold rain, taking cover behind the rear wheel of the vehicle.
“It’s over, Silas,” Dominic shouted, his voice cutting through the storm. “You killed my brother. And you tried to take his family. Drop the weapon.”
Silas laughed bitterly, wiping the rain from his eyes. “Julian was weak, Dominic! He wanted to turn the family into a bunch of legitimate bankers. He was going to give it all away to some waitress he knocked up! I did what had to be done to protect our empire!”
“You did it for yourself,” Dominic growled, stepping closer, utterly fearless in the face of the aimed weapon. “You cut his brakes. You watched him die.”
“And I’ll watch you die, too,” Silas spat.
Silas pulled the trigger.
The shot echoed like thunder. But Silas’s aim was thrown off by the heavy rain and his injuries. The bullet grazed Dominic’s shoulder, tearing through his tailored suit, but the legendary boss didn't even flinch. He didn't fire back. Instead, Dominic moved with terrifying, blinding speed. He closed the distance in three massive strides, tackling Silas into the mud.
The weapon flew from Silas’s hand. Dominic mounted the traitor, his massive fists reigning down with brutal, punishing force. He was driven by a year of grief, by the betrayal of a trusted friend, and by the fierce, consuming need to protect the woman hiding behind the car.
Silas struggled, but he was no match for Dominic’s absolute, raw power. Within seconds, Silas lay unconscious in the mud, completely subdued without a single drop of graphic violence, just the sheer force of a mafia king reclaiming his throne.
Dominic stood up, his chest heaving, the rain washing the mud from his hands. He looked toward the rear of the SUV.
Hannah slowly stood up, clutching Grace. She was shivering, soaked to the bone, her beautiful face pale and terrified.
Dominic immediately dropped his weapon. The terrifying boss vanished, replaced by a desperate, protective man. He rushed over to her and wrapped his large, muscular arms around both of them, pulling them flush against his chest.
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“I’ve got you,” Dominic whispered fiercely, burying his face in Hannah’s wet hair. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Hannah broke down, sobbing quietly into his chest, her hands clutching his soaked white shirt. For the first time in her life, she didn't have to be strong. She was finally safe.
