Chapter 6 - The Choice Dominic Never Expected
Two days later, Lena was cleared to leave the hospital.
That created a new problem.
“Absolutely not.”
Dominic stood beside the window.
Lena sat on the edge of the bed holding Ethan.
“What part confused you?”
“The part where you plan to go back to Rachel’s house.”
“That is where I live.”
“That address is compromised.”
Rachel nodded reluctantly.
“He’s right.”
Lena stared at her.
“Whose side are you on?”
“The side that doesn’t want armed criminals knowing where I keep my cereal.”
Dominic almost smiled.
Lena noticed.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were thinking something smug.”
“I was thinking Rachel is sensible.”
Rachel pointed at him.
“Do not recruit me.”
Dominic returned his attention to Lena.
“You need somewhere secure.”
“And I suppose you have a mansion.”
“Several properties.”
“That wasn’t an invitation to brag.”
“I wasn’t bragging.”
Vincent, standing near the door, muttered, “He kind of was.”
Dominic glanced at him.
Vincent immediately became interested in his phone.
Lena looked down at Ethan.
“Where?”
“My house in Lake Forest.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I would be trapped there.”
“You would have your own car.”
“With guards.”
“If you want them.”
“And if I don’t?”
Dominic hesitated.
That mattered.
Lena waited.
“No guards inside the house.”
“What about outside?”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Lena.”
“One guard, outside, and I decide when I leave.”
Dominic sighed.
“Fine.”
She blinked.
“That was too easy.”
“I’m learning.”
Rachel laughed.
“He can be trained.”
Dominic looked unimpressed.
Lake Forest was nothing like Lena expected.
Dominic’s house was large, but not gaudy.
Stone walls.
Tall windows.
A long driveway surrounded by trees.
Inside, there were no gold statues, no ridiculous chandeliers, no throne-like furniture.
Lena looked around.
“This is surprisingly normal.”
Dominic carried Ethan’s car seat.
“I’m not sure whether to be offended.”
“You should be.”
Rachel followed them with bags.
“Where’s the dungeon?”
Dominic pointed toward a hallway.
“Past the wine cellar.”
Rachel stopped.
He looked back.
“That was a joke.”
Rachel stared.
“You really need practice.”
For the first few days, Dominic barely touched Ethan unless Lena invited him.
He asked before entering her room.
He left for meetings during the day and returned early.
He stopped taking business calls at the dinner table.
Lena noticed all of it.
That frightened her in a different way.
Because change created hope.
Hope was more dangerous than anger.
One evening, she entered the kitchen and found Dominic holding Ethan against his chest.
The baby was asleep.
Dominic stood perfectly still.
Lena leaned against the doorway.
“What are you doing?”
“Not moving.”
“Why?”
“He finally stopped crying.”
“You know you can sit.”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“He cried.”
Lena smiled.
“He has you trained already.”
Dominic looked down at Ethan.
“Apparently.”
Lena walked closer.
There was something almost absurd about it.
This intimidating man with scarred knuckles and dark tattoos looked terrified of waking a seven-pound baby.
“Give him to me.”
Dominic shook his head.
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You’re saying no to his mother?”
“He’s sleeping.”
“So?”
“I worked for this.”
She laughed.
Dominic looked at her.
There it was again.
The woman he remembered.
Not afraid.
Not running.
Lena noticed his expression.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“I missed that sound.”
Her smile disappeared slightly.
“What sound?”
“You laughing.”
Silence settled between them.
Lena looked away.
Dominic lowered his voice.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
She looked back.
He continued.
“For lying to you. For letting you fall in love with a version of me without giving you the truth.”
“You weren’t fake.”
“No.”
“That almost makes it worse.”
“I know.”
“You were kind to me. You were good to my students. You made me feel safe.”
Dominic looked down.
“And then I destroyed that.”
“Yes.”
He did not argue.
Lena took a slow breath.
“I need to know something.”
“Ask.”
“If I hadn’t seen the garage, would you ever have told me?”
Dominic did not answer immediately.
Finally:
“I planned to.”
“When?”
“When I thought you loved me enough not to leave.”
Lena gave a sad smile.
“That isn’t trust.”
“No.”
“That’s waiting until I’m emotionally trapped.”
“Yes.”
The honesty hurt.
Dominic looked at her.
“I know that now.”
Lena stepped closer.
“What happened to Marcus?”
Dominic’s face changed.
“What do you mean?”
“You said he betrayed you.”
“He stole money and gave information to Bellini.”
“And that deserved death?”
Dominic said nothing.
“I need an answer.”
“In the world I was running then, yes.”
“Then?”
He looked directly at her.
“I’m changing how things work.”
Lena’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t just retire from the mafia.”
“No.”
“You don’t fill out paperwork and become an accountant.”
“No.”
“Then what does changing mean?”
Dominic carefully shifted Ethan.
“It means I’m dismantling the parts that require blood to function.”
She stared at him.
“Is that possible?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“It’s true.”
He continued.
“I have legitimate businesses. Shipping. Construction. Restaurants. Property. More than enough to support hundreds of people without extortion, trafficking, or violence.”
Lena’s expression sharpened.
“Trafficking?”
“No drugs. No women. Never under me.”
She studied him.
“But violence.”
“Yes.”
He would not hide it.
“I can’t undo what I’ve done,” Dominic said. “But I can make sure Ethan never grows up believing it’s normal.”
Lena looked at their son.
“Why now?”
Dominic’s answer came softly.
“Because I want him to be proud of me someday.”
Lena felt tears threaten.
She hated that.
“So you’re giving everything up for him?”
“No.”
Dominic’s eyes met hers.
“For both of you.”
Three weeks passed.
Bellini stayed quiet.
Dominic started restructuring his organization.
Some men accepted it.
Others did not.
The most dangerous resistance came from inside.
Vincent entered Dominic’s office one afternoon and closed the door.
“We have a problem.”
Dominic looked up.
“Again?”
“Carlo.”
Dominic’s expression changed.
“What about him?”
“He’s been talking to people.”
“About?”
“How weak you’ve become.”
Dominic leaned back.
“Because I didn’t kill Bellini?”
“Because you’re shutting down operations that made a lot of men rich.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened.
“Names?”
Vincent placed a list on the desk.
Dominic scanned it.
“These men have been with us for years.”
“Exactly.”
“And Carlo?”
“He thinks the organization belongs to the old rules.”
Dominic looked toward the window.
“And he thinks he can replace me.”
Vincent nodded.
“Probably.”
Dominic stood.
“Double security around the house.”
“We already did.”
“Lena cannot know yet.”
A voice came from the doorway.
“Too late.”
Both men turned.
Lena stood there.
Dominic closed his eyes briefly.
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough.”
“Lena—”
“No.”
She entered.
“You told me things were changing.”
“They are.”
“And now your own men want to overthrow you.”
“Some.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No.”
She folded her arms.
“Are Ethan and I the reason?”
Dominic did not answer.
That was an answer.
Lena looked furious.
“I will not be the excuse for people dying.”
“You aren’t.”
“They think you’re weak because of us.”
“They think mercy is weakness.”
“And what happens now?”
Dominic looked at Vincent.
Vincent knew when to leave.
He walked out and closed the door.
Dominic turned back to Lena.
“I deal with Carlo.”
“How?”
“Carefully.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“He hasn’t committed treason yet.”
“You just said he wants your position.”
“Wanting isn’t doing.”
Lena stared at him.
“You would have killed him six months ago.”
“Yes.”
“And now?”
“I give him a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Walk away with money and a clean start, or stay and follow the new rules.”
“And if he refuses?”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“Then he leaves with nothing.”
Lena stepped closer.
“And if he attacks you?”
Dominic said nothing.
She understood.
“You’ll kill him.”
“If he forces that choice.”
Lena looked away.
“This world keeps finding a way back.”
Dominic approached slowly.
“I’m trying to walk out of it.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Then prove it.”
He frowned.
“How?”
Lena looked at him.
“Come with us.”
Dominic went still.
“What?”
“I’m leaving Chicago.”
“Lena.”
“I’m not running this time.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Choosing.”
She swallowed.
“I want to raise Ethan somewhere he can go to school without bodyguards. Somewhere people don’t know the Moretti name.”
Dominic stared at her.
“And you want me to let you go.”
Lena shook her head.
“No.”
His expression changed.
“I’m asking you to come.”
For perhaps the first time in his life, Dominic Moretti had no answer.
Lena continued.
“You said there are things more important than staying on top.”
“Yes.”
“Then prove you meant it.”
“Walking away creates enemies.”
“Staying creates them too.”
He looked toward the door.
“This organization has hundreds of people tied to it.”
“Then hand the legitimate businesses to people you trust.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I know.”
She stepped closer.
“But I am not asking you whether it’s simple.”
Dominic looked at her.
“What are you asking?”
“Whether you want power more than you want us.”
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Then Ethan started crying from the nursery down the hall.
Lena turned toward the sound.
Dominic caught her hand gently.
She looked back.
“I choose you.”
Lena froze.
Dominic continued.
“I choose him.”
His grip loosened, giving her the option to pull away.
She did not.
“And if that means walking away from everything I spent my life building,” he said, “then I walk.”
Lena’s eyes filled.
“You can’t say that unless you mean it.”
“I know.”
“Dominic.”
“I mean it.”
For the first time, she believed he might actually be capable of leaving.
May you like
Neither of them knew that Carlo had already made his own decision.
And before Dominic could walk away from the Moretti empire, the empire was going to make one final attempt to keep him.
