Chapter 8 - The First Strike
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The fragile, quiet dynamic shifting between Emma and me was violently interrupted that evening.
I was in my study, finalizing the paperwork for Emma’s brother’s physical therapy trust, when Marco burst through the heavy oak doors without knocking.
"Boss," Marco breathed heavily, his face pale and tight with fury. "We have a massive problem."
"Report," I commanded, standing up instantly, the CEO vanishing and the syndicate boss taking over.
"Kolov just hit three of our legitimate fronts in Queens," Marco said grimly. "They firebombed the construction equipment at the new development site, and they hijacked two of our delivery trucks on the interstate. They left a message spray-painted on the warehouse wall."
I walked around the desk, my jaw clenched so hard I thought my teeth would shatter. "What was the message?"
"They wrote: 'The maid was just the beginning. The ports are next,'" Marco recited.
Kolov wasn't just testing the waters; he was declaring open, chaotic warfare on my legitimate empire. He wanted to draw me out. He wanted me to make a mistake fueled by anger.
"He is accelerating the timeline," I analyzed quietly, staring at the map of the city on my wall. "He thinks because I protect my people, I am weak. He thinks my legitimate businesses make me vulnerable to street tactics."
"What are your orders, Dominic?" Marco asked, resting his hand on his holstered weapon. "Do we hit his nightclubs? Burn his stash houses?"
"No," I replied coldly. "If we hit his stash houses, we play his game. Kolov wants a street war. I don't fight in the gutter, Marco. I bury people in it."
I turned to my most trusted lieutenant. "Double the guard at St. Jude’s Hospital. Nobody gets near Emma’s mother. And prepare the armored convoy. The Manhattan estate is too large to defend against a full-scale siege if Kolov decides to get desperate."
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"Where are we going?"
"We are moving Emma and her family to the stronghold," I stated. "Once they are perfectly safe, I will show Alexei Kolov exactly why the rest of the city is terrified of my name."
