Chapter 14 - The Ultimatum
The morning sun filtered through the penthouse curtains, illuminating the tangled silk sheets. Clara lay with her head on Julian’s chest, tracing the scars on his skin. He was fast asleep, looking remarkably peaceful for a man who had just dismantled a crime syndicate.
The peace shattered when Julian’s secure cell phone buzzed aggressively on the nightstand.
Julian woke instantly, his instincts razor-sharp. He answered the phone, his voice a low gravel. "Speak."
Clara watched as Julian’s expression darkened. The soft lover from the night before vanished, replaced entirely by the ruthless boss.
"I see," Julian said coldly. "Tell them I will be there in an hour."
He hung up, sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his temples.
"What's wrong?" Clara asked, pulling the sheet up to her chest.
"The Syndicate High Council," Julian grumbled. "Dante Romano’s arrest created a power vacuum. The old bosses from New York and Vegas are flying in. They are demanding a meeting."
"Is that bad?"
Julian looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes full of dread. "They saw what I did last night. I used the FBI to solve a syndicate problem. I broke the code of silence. They are going to demand a blood price to let me keep my hotels."
"What kind of price?" Clara asked, a cold knot forming in her stomach.
Julian didn't answer. He stood up, walking into the massive glass shower. Clara knew exactly what the silence meant.
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The Council didn't want his money. They wanted his weakness. They wanted to ensure the ruthless Julian Morreti wasn't going soft.
They wanted Clara gone.
