Chapter 16 - The Shadow in the Suburbs
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Leah didn't mention the black town car to Dante during dinner.
She watched him sit on the expensive Persian rug with Matteo, piecing together the wooden tracks of the new train set. The ruthless mafia boss, a man who could order a hit with a snap of his fingers, was patiently explaining how the magnetic train cars connected to an eight-year-old.
It was a beautiful, surreal sight. But the knot of anxiety in Leah's stomach refused to untighten.
When Matteo finally went to sleep, Dante poured them both a glass of wine and joined Leah on the back patio. The night air was cool, the neighborhood silent.
"You're quiet tonight," Dante observed, his sharp eyes missing nothing. He reached out, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "What's wrong?"
Leah hesitated. She didn't want to bring the darkness back into their sanctuary. But she also knew that keeping secrets in Dante's world was dangerous.
"There was a car," Leah said softly, looking out at the manicured lawn. "A black town car, parked across the street this afternoon. It sat there for an hour. It wasn't your men."
Dante's hand went still. The relaxed, domestic partner vanished in an instant, replaced by the cold, calculating Don. He pulled his phone from his pocket.
"Enzo," Dante spoke quietly, his tone clipped. "Pull the security footage for the street outside the brownstone. 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Black town car. Run the plates."
He hung up, his jaw ticking.
"I thought your uncle and Sable were the end of it," Leah whispered, fear creeping back into her voice.
"In my world, there is no end," Dante said, pulling her into his side, holding her fiercely. "When you cut off the head of a snake, another one always tries to take its place. But they won't touch you. I swear it."
Ten minutes later, Dante's phone buzzed. He read the text message, his face turning to stone.
May you like
"Who is it?" Leah asked.
"It's the Russian Bratva," Dante growled, standing up. "Sable promised them my offshore ledgers before I killed him. They want what they were promised. And they know where you live."
