The Mafia Boss and the Maid — Part 4
The Mafia Boss and the Maid — Part 4
Dominic drove through the rain without turning on the radio.
His hands were steady on the wheel.
His mind was not.
The ledger.
For years, Dominic had heard rumors about a book that could destroy the balance between the city’s criminal families.
A black ledger.
Names.
Payments.
Judges.
Police officers.
Politicians.
Every secret transaction the Moretti family had ever made.
But Dominic had always believed the ledger was a myth.
Now he knew it was real.
And Linda had stolen it.
The question was why the Morettis hadn’t killed her.
The answer came to him slowly.
They didn’t know where it was.
And neither did Dominic.
Yet.
His phone rang.
Arthur.
“Boss, we traced the number that contacted you.”
“Where?”
“An abandoned textile factory on the south side.”
Dominic glanced at the clock.
“How many men?”
“At least twelve.”
“Moretti?”
“We don’t have confirmation.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
“Send no one.”
“Boss?”
“I said no one.”
“That’s suicide.”
Dominic smiled coldly.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m very difficult to kill.”
He ended the call.
Twenty minutes later, his sedan stopped outside the abandoned factory.
The building looked dead.
Broken windows.
Rusting metal.
Weeds growing through the concrete.
Dominic stepped out.
He checked his gun.
Then walked inside.
The factory was silent.
Too silent.
“Dominic!”
The voice echoed from the darkness.
Vincent Moretti stepped into view.
Two men stood behind him.
Linda was between them.
Her hands were tied.
Dominic’s entire body went still.
Linda looked at him.
“Mr. Gallow, don’t!”
Vincent smiled.
“You came alone.”
Dominic looked at Linda.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Good.”
Vincent laughed.
“That’s touching.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Let her go.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that.”
“The ledger.”
“Exactly.”
Vincent held out his hand.
“Give it to me.”
Dominic didn’t move.
“I don’t have it.”
Vincent’s smile vanished.
“Then you came here for nothing.”
“I came for her.”
Linda’s eyes widened.
Vincent laughed.
“Why?”
Dominic’s answer was simple.
“Because she’s mine.”
Linda stared at him.
Dominic continued.
“She works for me.”
Vincent shook his head.
“That’s not what I mean.”
He stepped closer to Linda.
“You care about her.”
Dominic said nothing.
“That’s your weakness.”
Vincent pulled out his phone.
He tapped the screen.
A photograph appeared.
Kio.
Sleeping in his hospital bed.
Linda’s face turned white.
“You said he was safe!”
Vincent smiled.
“He is.”
“For now.”
Dominic’s eyes became murderous.
“If you touch that child…”
Vincent interrupted him.
“You’ll do what?”
Dominic took one step forward.
“I’ll destroy your entire family.”
The room became silent.
Vincent’s smile disappeared.
Dominic’s voice was almost a whisper.
“I won’t kill you first.”
He raised his eyes.
“I’ll kill everyone you love.”
Vincent stared at him.
Then laughed nervously.
“You think you’re different from me?”
“No.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“I’m worse.”
Suddenly, the lights went out.
Gunfire erupted.
Dominic moved instantly.
He grabbed Linda and pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
Bullets struck the metal machinery around them.
Men shouted.
Someone screamed.
Dominic fired twice.
A body fell.
“Stay down!”
Linda covered her head.
Dominic looked across the factory.
He saw movement near the eastern entrance.
Moretti’s men were attacking each other.
Dominic realized what was happening.
His own men had arrived.
He had told them not to come.
They came anyway.
Arthur’s voice crackled through Dominic’s earpiece.
“Boss, we’re here.”
Dominic almost smiled.
“About time.”
The firefight lasted less than two minutes.
Then silence returned.
Vincent was gone.
So were most of his men.
Dominic helped Linda stand.
She was shaking.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He untied her hands.
She looked at him.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
Dominic stared at her.
“I told you.”
“Told me what?”
“I don’t leave my people behind.”
Linda’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m not one of your people.”
Dominic looked at her for a long moment.
“Maybe that’s the problem.”
She didn’t understand.
Neither did he.
Then his phone rang.
The hospital.
Dominic answered immediately.
“Hello?”
A doctor’s frightened voice came through.
“Mr. Gallow?”
“Who is this?”
“I’m Dr. Evans.”
Dominic’s heart stopped.
“What happened?”
“It’s Kio.”
Linda grabbed his arm.
“What happened to my son?”
The doctor spoke quickly.
“There was an attempted abduction.”
Linda nearly collapsed.
“Is he safe?”
“Yes.”
Dominic closed his eyes for half a second.
“How?”
“Your security team stopped them.”
Linda stared at Dominic.
“My security team?”
He didn’t answer.
Dr. Evans continued.
“They’re still outside the ward.”
Dominic understood.
His people had been protecting Kio all along.
Without Linda knowing.
“Doctor, listen carefully.”
“Yes?”
“No one gets near that child.”
“Understood.”
“Not doctors.”
Dr. Evans hesitated.
“Excuse me?”
“Not nurses. Not visitors. No one.”
“Mr. Gallow, this is a hospital.”
“From now on, it’s a fortress.”
He ended the call.
Linda stared at him.
“You put guards around my son.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve been protecting him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Dominic looked away.
“I don’t know.”
Linda stepped closer.
“You do know.”
He finally looked at her.
“I couldn’t lose him.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“You barely know him.”
Dominic’s voice softened.
“I know enough.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Linda reached out.
She placed her hand over his.
Dominic froze.
No one touched him like that.
Not without permission.
Not without fear.
Linda whispered:
“Thank you.”
Dominic looked down at their hands.
Then something unexpected happened.
He turned his hand over and gently held hers.
“I should be thanking you.”
Linda frowned.
“For what?”
“For reminding me that I’m still human.”
She didn’t answer.
She simply squeezed his hand.
But the moment didn’t last.
A car screeched outside.
Dominic’s security chief rushed into the factory.
“Boss!”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“We found Vincent’s car.”
“Where?”
“Three blocks away.”
“Is he inside?”
“No.”
The chief handed Dominic a small envelope.
“We found this on the driver’s seat.”
Dominic opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Linda and Kio.
On the back, a message had been written.
THE LEDGER ISN’T THE REAL SECRET.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed.
Below it were six more words.
ASK LINDA WHO KIO’S FATHER IS.
Linda saw the message.
Her face went completely white.
Dominic slowly turned toward her.
“Linda.”
She stepped backward.
“Don’t.”
“Who is Kio’s father?”
She shook her head.
“Please.”
“Who?”
Linda’s eyes filled with tears.
“You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.”
She covered her face.
“I was nineteen.”
Dominic waited.
“I met him at a party.”
“Who?”
Linda lowered her hands.
Her voice was barely audible.
“Your brother.”
Dominic stopped breathing.
His younger brother had been dead for six years.
A car accident.
At least, that’s what Dominic had always believed.
He stared at Linda.
“Kio…”
She nodded.
“He’s your brother’s son.”
The world seemed to tilt beneath Dominic’s feet.
Linda whispered:
“Your nephew.”
Dominic looked at the photograph again.
Suddenly, every piece of the puzzle changed.
The Morettis weren’t after the ledger.
Not really.
They were after Kio.
Because the boy wasn’t just Linda’s son.
He was the last living connection to a secret Dominic’s family had buried six years ago.
And if that secret came out…
The war between the Gallow and Moretti families wouldn’t be a war anymore.
It would be a massacre.
