Chapter 4 - The Safe House
The silence inside the dark drainage pipe was absolute and suffocating.
Dominic stared down at the beautiful woman he had been fascinated by for the last two months.
She was an undercover federal agent planted deliberately inside his own home.
His hand instinctively moved toward the wet gun tucked into his waistband.
Clara did not flinch or beg pathetically for her life.
She firmly told him that if he killed her now, he would never find the hidden ledger.
Without that ledger, the Commission would believe Vincent's lies and execute Dominic for Arthur's murder.
Dominic realized with a bitter taste in his mouth that she was absolutely right.
He slowly lowered his hand and ordered her to follow him closely.
They moved silently through the dark shadows of the city until they reached a dilapidated apartment building in Queens.
Dominic kept this specific safe house entirely off the books, hidden even from his own family.
He unlocked the heavy steel door and pushed her quickly inside the dark room.
The apartment was incredibly small, dusty, and smelled strongly of old coffee.
Dominic handed her a clean white towel and a dry flannel shirt from the cramped closet.
Clara turned her back to him, shedding the heavy, ruined fabric of her evening gown.
Dominic watched the graceful curve of her spine, fighting the incredibly dangerous attraction he felt for an enemy.
He poured two glasses of cheap whiskey and handed one to her trembling hands.
Their fingers brushed lightly, and the sudden electricity between them was undeniable.
Clara looked up at him, her tough, professional exterior finally cracking under the immense pressure.
She whispered softly that she never meant for anyone to die tonight.
Dominic stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low, rough murmur.
He promised her that they were both going to survive this nightmare.
He slowly leaned in, and Clara closed her eyes, tilting her chin upward to meet his lips.
Before they could kiss, the dusty rotary phone on the kitchen counter began to ring loudly.
May you like
It was a highly secure landline that only Dominic knew existed.
He picked up the receiver and heard Vincent’s chilling, victorious laughter echoing on the other end.
