Chapter 10 - THE GUARDIAN OF MICHIGAN AVENUE
Ten minutes later, the heavy rear service doors of L’Hermitage opened into the quiet, snow-covered alleyway behind Michigan Avenue.
The blizzard was howling, thick white flakes swirling through the narrow gap between the high-rise buildings. The black armored SUV sat idling in the alley, its exhaust curling up into the freezing air like thick white smoke.
Dominic stood beside the open rear door of the vehicle, his dark burgundy coat wrapped tight around his shoulders, his leather driving gloves on his hands.
Marco stepped out of the back entrance, wiping his hands with a clean white cloth, nodding once to Dominic. The rogue lieutenant had been dealt with smoothly, quietly, and permanently—his reign of terror over the West Side tenements erased in the dark shadows of the Chicago winter night.
Dominic looked up at the second-floor window of the restaurant.
Through the warm, amber-lit glass of the VIP lounge, he could see the silhouette of Emily sitting in a plush armchair, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, holding a warm cup of cocoa while baby Noah slept peacefully in a soft cradle beside her.
Dominic took a deep breath of the freezing night air, the cold wind biting against his face.
He knew that tomorrow the streets would still be cold, the city would still be dangerous, and the syndicate would still demand his iron leadership. But tonight, beneath the neon lights of Michigan Avenue and the falling snow, he had restored order to his world.
Dominic stepped into the back of the SUV.
May you like
"Drive," Dominic commanded softly. "We have a house to clean."
The heavy door closed with a solid, airtight thud, and the black vehicle rolled smoothly out into the whiteout, leaving no trace behind except deep tire tracks quickly buried by the fresh, clean snow.
