Chapter 6 - The Trail of Blood and the Fugitive’s Return to Manhattan
The secure intercom line hissed with static before Thomas Sterling’s strained voice broke through the silence of the penthouse.
Dominic stood frozen by the window, the morning sunlight catching the silver pendant of the Saint Christopher medal resting against baby Lily’s chest.
“Say that again, Thomas,” Dominic commanded, his voice dropping an octave into a tone of lethal command.
“The holding cell was occupied within the last twelve hours, boss,” Thomas repeated from the Newark underground bunker.
“We found fresh crimson smears on the concrete floor, a shattered pair of reinforced steel handcuffs, and a trail leading toward the river.”
“And the second necklace?” Dominic pressed, his knuckles turning white as he clutched the edge of the mahogany desk.
“It was left behind on a rusted metal table, stamped with the exact same crooked letter J,” Thomas confirmed heavily.
“Julian didn’t just sit there and wait to die, Dominic. He broke his own restraints and fought his way out before my tactical team even touched the perimeter.”
Dominic closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, a surge of fierce pride mixing with overwhelming terror in his chest.
That was his younger brother—stubborn, unbreakable, and refusing to surrender even when the entire world had conspired against him.
“If he broke out of a high-security black site with shredded wrists, he won’t go to a hospital,” Dominic reasoned analytically.
“He knows every medical professional in New Jersey is compromised by Marcus Vance’s shell corporations and bribed police networks.”
“Which means there is only one place on earth he could possibly run for shelter,” Thomas added, catching on instantly.
“Manhattan,” Dominic whispered, staring down at the little girl who had crawled into his office just twenty-four hours ago.
“He’s coming for us, or he’s coming to finish what he started against Marcus before they lock him away forever.”
“Lockdown the penthouse, double the sniper detail on the roof, and intercept every incoming water taxi crossing the Hudson,” Dominic ordered sharply.
“If Julian sets foot on Manhattan soil, I want him brought directly to me before federal agents or Marcus’s remaining loyalists find him.”
“Understood. We’re pulling out of Newark right now and sealing the bridges,” Thomas replied before the line clicked dead.
Dominic slowly lowered his phone, his mind racing through every possible scenario as the gravity of the situation settled over him.
Hannah Reed stepped forward from the corner of the room, her eyes wide with a mixture of intense hope and agonizing fear.
“He’s alive,” Hannah whispered, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. “Julian is really alive out there.”
“He’s alive, but he’s bleeding, hunted, and running on pure adrenaline,” Dominic replied, his expression hardening into stone.
“And if Marcus Vance’s underground allies realize he survived that cell, they will hunt him through the streets like a pack of wolves.”
Baby Lily let out a soft yawn in Dominic’s arms, completely oblivious to the violent storm brewing outside their sanctuary doors.
Dominic looked down at her pale gray eyes, feeling an unyielding protective instinct that surpassed any corporate power he had ever wielded.
“We need to secure the perimeter downstairs,” Dominic said, handing Lily gently back to her mother.
“If Julian manages to slip through the police blockades, the front lobby of Caruso Enterprises is the first place he’ll try to reach.”
“I’m going down to the ground floor myself to oversee the security sweep,” Dominic declared, adjusting his cufflinks with precise movements.
Hannah clutched Lily tightly to her chest, nodding in fierce agreement as she watched the feared billionaire prepare for battle.
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“Be careful, Dominic,” she murmured softly. “Marcus may be behind bars, but he built a spiderweb that spans across this entire city.”
Dominic didn’t answer with words; he simply turned on his heel and strode toward the private elevator with the unstoppable momentum of an avalanche.
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