Chapter 9 - The Scar and the Pact
Night fell over the mountain estate,
wrapping the stone walls in a blanket of suffocating fog.
I sat across from Dominic in his private parlor,
changing the dressing on his right shoulder for the third time that day.
The wound was finally starting to close around the edges,
thanks to my relentless antiseptic regimen.
As I snipped the excess gauze,
my fingers brushed against a long,
jagged scar running down his collarbone.
"How did you get this one?" I asked softly,
curiosity overriding my professional boundaries.
Dominic looked down at the pale line of old tissue without flinching.
"Vienna,
ten years ago,
" he answered,
his voice distant and hollow.
"A rival syndicate tried to take over our smuggling routes while I was establishing my first independent operation.
"
"Did you win?" I asked,
applying fresh ointment.
"If I hadn't,
I wouldn't be sitting here letting a stubborn ER nurse lecture me about hygiene,
" he replied with a dry,
humorless smirk.
He turned his dark eyes toward me,
studying my face with an intensity that made my pulse skip a beat.
"What about you,
Nora?" he asked abruptly.
"A brilliant nurse with hands steady enough for trauma surgery shouldn't be two days away from eviction.
"
"Life happened,
Mr.
Rossi,
" I sighed,
pulling back and packing my medical kit.
"Hospital budget cuts,
mounting medical bills for my mother before she passed away,
and salaries that never matched inflation.
"
"In my world,
loyalty and hard work are rewarded with power and protection,
" Dominic said quietly.
"In your world,
the system chews you up and spits you out the moment you stop being useful.
"
"Are you offering me a job in the mafia?" I asked,
raising an eyebrow with a skeptical smile.
"I'm offering you a partnership,
Nora,
" he corrected,
leaning forward with absolute seriousness.
"Stay by my side until my shoulder heals completely,
manage my medical recovery,
and I will ensure your financial security for the rest of your life.
"
"You don't even know me,
Dominic,
" I whispered,
using his first name intentionally for the first time.
"I know a survivor when I see one,
" he replied,
reaching out to catch my hand before I pulled away.
His skin was warm,
his grip firm,
May you like
and for the first time,
the danger surrounding him didn't feel terrifying—it felt intoxicating.
