Chapter 1 - The Price of a Star
Vincent Kane did not raise his voice.
He did not have to.
The silence in the dining room was so absolute that the clatter of David Sterling's Porsche keys hitting the floor sounded like a gunshot.
David stood frozen by the bar, the arrogant smirk melting off his face in real time.
Vincent picked up the piece of paper I had placed on his table.
His cold eyes scanned the childish purple stars drawn next to my mother's grueling shifts.
My mother, Sarah, suddenly burst through the kitchen doors holding a stack of dirty plates.
She saw me standing next to the most dangerous man in Chicago and dropped the dishes.
The ceramic shattered into a hundred pieces, but nobody even looked at her.
She ran toward me, her face pale with absolute terror.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Kane," she begged, trying to pull me away.
"She is just a child, she doesn't know any better."
Vincent held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks.
"Your daughter says David Sterling hasn't paid you in eleven weeks," Vincent said quietly.
Sarah looked at David, then back at Vincent, her whole body shaking.
"It is a misunderstanding," she lied, clearly terrified of losing her job.
Vincent stood up, towering over the table, and looked directly at David.
"Bring me exactly five thousand, four hundred, and thirty dollars from the register right now," Vincent commanded.
David scrambled behind the bar, his hands shaking as he emptied the cash drawer.
He brought the stack of bills over and placed it nervously on the table.
Vincent did not even look at the money.
"Now," Vincent said smoothly, "give her the keys to the Porsche for the interest."
David's eyes widened in horror.
"Mr. Kane, please, I just bought it yesterday," David pleaded.
"And Sarah didn't eat dinner yesterday," Vincent replied, signaling his men.
Two massive bodyguards stepped forward, but David suddenly held up his hands.
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"Wait!" David shouted in desperation.
"I didn't pay her because she is skimming from the register to pay off her dead husband's massive debt to the Russian mob."
