Chapter 3 - Shadows in the City
The heavy oak doors of Beluchi’s felt like the gates of a sanctuary when we finally stepped back out onto the chilly Manhattan pavement, though the night air bit sharply through my thin scrubs. Dominic had insisted on having his personal driver, a towering man named Sal with broad shoulders and a silent demeanor, escort us back to our apartment in Queens.
I sat in the back of the black Lincoln Navigator, holding Lily tightly in my arms as she finally succumbed to exhaustion, her little head resting heavily against my shoulder, clutching Mr. Buttons like a lifeline.
Dominic sat across from me in the spacious leather interior, silent for most of the ride, his gaze fixed absently on the flashing neon signs of the city sliding past the tinted windows.
"You shouldn't have brought her into this," I broke the silence, my voice tight as I looked down at my sleeping daughter. "She's five years old, Mr. Moretti. She shouldn't be sitting in mafia-backed restaurants talking to men who collect debts."
"She didn't come to see a mob boss, Clara," Dominic replied quietly, without turning his head. "She came to find a date for her mother because she noticed you haven't smiled in four years. Smart kid. Observant. She gets that from you—though she clearly inherited your stubbornness, too."
I flushed, hating how accurate his words were. "That's none of your business."
"Everything in this city eventually crosses my desk," Dominic said, finally turning his dark eyes toward me. The streetlamps outside cast flickering shadows across his sharp jawline. "Including the fact that your husband’s former business associates aren't the only ones looking for him. Federal investigators have been poking around St. Catherine’s Hospital for the last three weeks, asking questions about your financial records."
My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. "Federal investigators? Why would they ask about me?"
"Because Julian routed some of his illicit shell company transfers through bank accounts bearing your maiden name—accounts you probably forgot existed after he convinced you to sign joint tax returns back when you were first married," Dominic explained coolly. "To the FBI, you look like an accomplice. They think you're sitting on a nest egg of laundered cash while playing the overworked, innocent ER nurse."
"That's insane!" I whispered, my voice rising in panic, careful not to wake Lily. "I didn't know anything about shell companies! I barely have enough money in my checking account to pay for grocery delivery!"
"I know that. And you know that," Dominic said, his voice dropping into a steady, anchoring rhythm that surprisingly managed to calm my racing pulse. "But the federal prosecutor handling financial crimes in this district doesn't care what you know. They care about what looks good on an indictment sheet before election season. And Julian knows that. Which is why his return to New York isn't just about tying up loose ends—it's about framing you to take the fall for his entire operation."
The Navigator slowed to a smooth stop outside the brick apartment building in Queens where we lived. Sal stepped out immediately, opening the rear door and holding an umbrella over us as a light, misty drizzle began to fall over the sidewalk.
I carefully shifted Lily in my arms, stepping out onto the wet pavement. Before I could walk toward the building entrance, Dominic stepped out behind us.
"Sal will secure the perimeter of your building tonight," Dominic instructed, his voice carrying absolute authority. "And tomorrow morning, you're not going to work at the hospital."
"I have a twelve-hour shift at St. Catherine's—"
"You have a target on your back," Dominic interrupted, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that brooked no argument. "If you walk into that hospital tomorrow, federal agents will be waiting in the parking garage to take you into custody. If you stay here unprotected, Julian's cleaners will find you before sunrise."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a heavy, old-fashioned brass key attached to a leather tag.
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"Pack a bag for you and Lily tonight," Dominic said, pressing the key firmly into my palm. "My driver will pick you up at 6:00 AM sharp. You're coming with me."
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