Chapter 9
The birthday banquet below had transformed into a war council. The music was silenced, the food removed, and the extravagant decorations pushed aside. Around the long, polished table where the celebration was meant to take place, Domenico’s senior capos now sat with grim, serious faces.
Domenico stood at the head of the table, the empty chair behind him serving as a stark reminder of the catalyst for the evening's events. He had changed his shirt, replacing the blood-spattered garment with a fresh, crisp white dress shirt, though he left the top buttons undone, the sharp tattoos on his chest and neck still visible.
He looked down the length of the table, his cold, intimidating eyes making contact with each man in the room. He spoke slowly, the deliberate pauses between his words commanding absolute silence.
"The Cole family will strike by dawn," Domenico stated, his volume low but carrying immense weight. "Marcus is an arrogant fool, but his father is not. He will see the expulsion of his daughter as a declaration of war. He will target the eastern ports first, to cut our supply lines."
"We have double the manpower at the docks, Boss," the silver-haired capo replied, leaning forward. "We can hold the ports. But the Cole syndicate has the local judges in their pockets. If this turns into a shooting war in the streets, they will use the police to lock up our lieutenants."
"They cannot use the police if they do not have the funds to pay them," Domenico said calmly. He rested his tattooed hands on the edge of the table. "I want the Cole family's primary logistics hubs in Jersey burned to the ground tonight."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the table. It was an incredibly aggressive move, a preemptive strike that would escalate the conflict to unprecedented levels.
"Boss, if we burn the hubs, we destroy millions of dollars in shared revenue," another capo pointed out nervously.
"I do not share revenue with men who raise their hands to my blood," Domenico replied softly, his sharp gaze locking onto the dissenting capo. "Burn the hubs. Liquidate their front companies. I want their empire completely dismantled before the sun rises. Do not leave them a single warehouse to hide in."
The men nodded slowly, understanding the absolute, terrifying resolve of their leader. There would be no negotiation. There would be no sit-down to resolve the dispute. Domenico was choosing total annihilation.
"And what of Valentina, Boss?" the silver-haired capo asked carefully. "She is untouchable under the old commission rules, as a wife of a boss."
"She is no longer a wife," Domenico murmured, straightening his posture. "But she is the mother of a child. She will live with the disgrace of her actions. However, if she attempts to contact anyone inside this estate, or if she steps foot within city limits..."
Domenico paused, the silence in the room stretching until it felt suffocating.
May you like
"...you will bring me her head."
The finality of his words hung in the air, cold and absolute. The meeting was adjourned without another word. Domenico turned and walked away from the table, his polished shoes echoing on the marble, preparing to defend the empire he had just plunged into chaos.
