Chapter 12 - The Loyalties of Wolves
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Dominic’s breath hitched. He frantically looked at the other security personnel stationed around the room. One by one, the men he paid to protect him lowered their eyes, stepped back, or subtly unclipped their radios.
They weren't cowards. They were pragmatic. No amount of Dominic’s money—money he no longer even possessed—was worth drawing a gun on Gabriel Cross and the heir to the Moretti bloodline. In the underworld, loyalty was rented, but fear was absolute.
“They belong to me now,” Evelyn said softly, noticing Dominic’s frantic realization. “I own the payroll, Dominic. I own the building you are standing in. I own the cars in the garage. I own the clothes on your back.”
Dominic’s knees buckled slightly. He reached out and grabbed the edge of a cocktail table just to keep himself standing. The crystal glasses rattled against the wood.
“You can't do this to me,” Dominic whispered, tears of sheer, helpless rage welling in his eyes. “I gave you my life. I gave you eight years of fidelity before Vanessa! I protected you from the other families! You would be dead without me!”
Gabriel let out a sharp, genuine laugh. It cut through the tension like a blade.
“You protected her?” Gabriel asked, amused. “Dominic, you ignorant fool. The only reason the Chicago families didn't slaughter you and take your territory ten years ago is because they knew who your wife was. They knew if they touched a hair on your head, the Moretti family would burn their syndicates to ash. You were living under her umbrella of protection, not the other way around.”
Marcus Thorne, the oldest boss in the room, nodded grimly from the sidelines, confirming the terrifying truth. Dominic had been a heavily guarded pet, completely oblivious to his own leash.
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Evelyn stepped around Gabriel, moving closer to Dominic. She looked down at him, her gray-green eyes completely devoid of the warmth he had taken for granted for so long.
“You asked me in the penthouse if you were ever going to hear the truth before tonight,” Evelyn said, her voice a chilling whisper that carried across the silent room. “The answer is no, Dominic. I was perfectly content to let you play king. I was perfectly content to stay in the shadows and let you feel powerful. All you had to do was honor the vows.”
