Chapter 3 - The Squeeze
The next morning, the reality of the threat crashed through the penthouse doors.
Sophia woke up enveloped in sheets that smelled distinctly of Dante. Her ribs throbbed, but the painkillers left on the nightstand took the edge off. She shuffled out into the living room, freezing when she saw the scene.
Dante’s massive dining table had been turned into a war room. Five men in dark suits—his capos—stood around, reviewing blueprints and tablet screens. The moment Sophia stepped into the room, all five men snapped to attention, lowering their heads respectfully.
“Signora,” Dante’s second-in-command, a towering man named Enzo, greeted her.
Dante looked up from a map, his expression instantly softening. He dismissed the men with a flick of his wrist. They filed out into the private elevator without a word.
“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” Dante said, walking over to her and handing her a mug of green tea—exactly how she liked it.
Before Sophia could answer, her phone buzzed on the counter. It was Chloe, her best friend and business partner.
“Soph? Oh my god, are you okay? The hospital said you were discharged!” Chloe’s voice was frantic.
“I’m fine, Chlo. Just banged up. What’s wrong?”
“The warehouse,” Chloe sobbed. “Sophia, our warehouse in Brooklyn… it burned down last night. The entire new line of apparel. The fabrics, the sewing machines. Everything is gone. The fire department said it was arson.”
Sophia’s blood ran cold. The phone slipped from her hand, clattering against the marble counter.
Dante picked it up, hung it up, and pulled Sophia into his chest. She didn't fight him. She buried her face in his shirt, the shock vibrating through her broken ribs.
“Who is doing this?” she cried against him. “I’m a nurse, Dante! I make medical scrubs! I don't have enemies!”
“You don't,” Dante said, his arms tightening around her like a steel cage. He kissed the top of her hair, his voice vibrating with a lethal promise. “But I do. They cut your brakes to kill you. When you survived, they burned your life's work to send a message.”
“Who?” she demanded, looking up at him.
“The Rossi family,” Dante spat the name like venom. “Lorenzo Rossi took over his father’s syndicate last month. He wants my territory at the shipping docks. He knows he can't kill me. So he is coming after the only thing in this world that could break me.”
May you like
Sophia stared at him. “Me.”
“He thinks you are my weakness,” Dante said, his eyes turning pitch black. “I am going to show him exactly why he is wrong.”
