Chapter 12 - Drawing the Line
The meeting took place in an abandoned warehouse near the train tracks. Russo arrived with four armed men, looking nervous but trying to project confidence. Vincent arrived with only Marco.
Russo puffed his chest out. "Vincent. To what do I owe the pleasure? You want to pay me back for that woman's debt you stole?"
Vincent didn't raise his voice. He simply walked forward, closing the distance until he was inches from Russo's face. Russo's men shifted uneasily, but Marco stood by the door, completely unbothered.
"I am going to say this exactly once, Dominic," Vincent whispered, the sheer menace in his tone causing Russo to take a half-step back. "That woman and her daughter are mine to protect. If a single pane of glass breaks at that bakery, if they catch a cold from a draft you created, I will not send my men. I will come to your home myself, and I will erase you and everything you have ever built."
Vincent held his gaze, letting the terrifying reality of his words sink in. He wasn't negotiating.
"Understand?" Vincent asked.
May you like
Russo swallowed hard, all his bravado evaporating. "Understood."
Vincent turned and walked away, ensuring that the shadow of his world would never touch Elena and Sophie again.
