Chapter 1 - The Poisoned TruthLeo reached for the glass,
his fingers brushing the cold crystal,
unaware of the death swirling inside the amber liquid.
Dominic’s eyes never left mine,
they were like two frozen lakes,
beautiful but capable of drowning everything in their path.
My heart hammered against my ribs,
each beat a drum of impending doom,
as I waited for the world to explode.
Leo brought the glass halfway to his mouth,
his smile casual and trusting,
the smile of a man who didn't know his boss had just signed his death warrant.
"Wait,"
Dominic’s voice was a low growl,
cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a blade.
Leo froze,
the glass hovering inches from his lips,
as he looked at Dominic with confusion.
Dominic reached out,
his large, scarred hand wrapping around Leo's wrist,
and slowly lowered the glass back to the table.
"On second thought,"
Dominic whispered,
his gaze finally shifting toward the bar where Paul stood.
"I think our friend Paul served us the wrong vintage."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees,
and I saw Paul’s face turn from pale to translucent.
Thomas,
at the exit,
turned to run,
but two of Dominic’s men were already there,
blocking the door with the silent efficiency of predators.
"You,"
Dominic said,
his finger pointing directly at me.
"Stay exactly where you are."
I couldn't have moved if I wanted to,
my boots felt like they were nailed to the floor,
and my breath came in short, jagged gasps.
Dominic stood up,
his presence filling the booth,
towering over everyone like a dark god of vengeance.
He picked up the poisoned glass,
walked slowly toward the bar,
and poured the liquid onto the floor in front of Paul.
The expensive scotch hissed on the tile,
or perhaps that was just the sound of my own fear.
"Who paid you?"
Dominic asked,
his voice calm,
which was a thousand times scarier than if he had screamed.
Paul began to sob,
his hands shaking so violently he knocked over a stack of menus.
"The Castellanos,"
he whimpered,
"they said they would kill my family if I didn't help Thomas."
Dominic didn't blink,
he simply looked back at me,
studying my face as if I were a puzzle he hadn't expected to solve tonight.
"And why did you warn me?"
he asked,
returning to the booth and standing inches away from me.
"I don't like seeing people die,"
I whispered,
my voice trembling,
"especially for a debt that isn't mine."
He tilted his head,
catching the mention of the debt,
and a predatory spark ignited in his eyes.
"Leo, take the girl to the car,"
he commanded,
not taking his eyes off me.
"What about the others?"
Leo asked,
his hand already reaching for his weapon.
"Clean the room,"
Dominic said simply,
turning his back as if the lives of the traitors were already forfeit.
I was grabbed by the arm,
led through the back exit of the Onyx Room,
and thrust into the cold New York night.
May you like
My life as a waitress ended in that moment,
and my life as a ghost began.
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