Chapter 8 - The Serpent's Ballroom
The grand ballroom of the Blackwood Manor was filled with smoke,
sparkling crystal chandeliers,
and the dangerous elite of Westchester's underworld.
Men in tailored tuxedos and women in glittering silk gowns moved across the floor,
drinking expensive champagne while discussing extortion,
smuggling,
and territorial expansion.
It was a pit of vipers,
and tonight,
Julian Moretti was running the show.
Julian stood near the raised platform at the front of the room,
holding a crystal glass of whiskey,
holding court with three powerful syndicate bosses.
"Dominic Vale has lost his edge,
" Julian declared loudly,
ensuring his voice carried across the marble floor.
"He sits in his empty mansion like a monk,
"
"scared of his own shadow,
"
"distracted by a fat little maid he hired off the street!"
The surrounding crowd chuckled nervously,
knowing the danger of speaking Dominic's name so lightly.
Suddenly,
the heavy double doors at the entrance of the ballroom swung open.
The room fell instantly silent.
Dominic Vale walked inside.
He looked imposing,
lethal,
and impossibly powerful in a midnight-black tuxedo,
his dark hair styled back,
his broad shoulders dominating the entrance.
Beside him,
holding his arm with absolute poise,
was Ruby Bennett.
She was breathtaking.
She wore a floor-length dress of deep emerald velvet that hugged every luxurious curve of her body,
accentuating her waist and the rich,
warm tone of her skin.
Her hair cascaded in loose curls over her shoulders,
and her emerald earrings caught the light of the chandeliers as she walked with the confidence of a queen entering her court.
The quiet in the room was absolute,
stretches of breath held in collective shock.
Dominic didn't look at the crowd;
his eyes were fixed entirely on Julian Moretti.
"You spoke my name,
Julian,
" Dominic said,
his calm,
resonant voice carrying into every dark corner of the ballroom.
"I thought I would bring the distraction you were so curious about."
Julian’s face flushed with a mixture of rage and shock as he set his glass down on a passing server's tray.
"You have nerve bringing a servant to a syndicate council meeting,
Vale,
" Julian sneered,
trying to regain his posture.
"She is not a servant tonight,
" Dominic replied smoothly,
placing a protective hand over Ruby's hand on his arm.
"She is my guest."
"And she has more honor in her little finger than your entire bloodline,
Julian."
Ruby looked straight at Julian,
raising an eyebrow with cool disdain.
"And for the record,
" Ruby added,
her voice ringing clear and melodious across the quiet hall,
"it's not 'fat little maid,
'"
"it's 'plus-size,
flawless,
and vastly out of your league.'"
A sudden wave of muffled laughs broke out among the lower-tier mobsters near the back.
Julian’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth clicked together.
"You think this is a joke?" Julian barked,
snapping his fingers.
Four heavily armed enforcers stepped out from the shadows near the perimeter of the room,
their hands moving toward their coats.
"This council was called to remove you from power,
Dominic!"
"You're outnumbered!"
Dominic didn't even draw his weapon.
He simply looked at Marcus,
who was standing near the entrance doors holding a small silver detonator control.
"You forgot rule number one of my house,
Julian,
May you like
" Dominic whispered coldly.
"I never enter a room unless I already own every shadow inside it."
