Chapter 2
Daniel Vance arrived twenty minutes later.
He came through the lobby doors wearing flour on one sleeve and fear on his face.
Not fear of me.
Fear of Dominic.
That distinction mattered.
Maeve ran to him immediately. Daniel dropped to one knee, checked her face, hands, knees, then pulled her tightly against his chest.
“I told you to stay at the bakery.”
“I brought bread.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Then he saw me standing beside the destroyed emblem.
His expression changed.
“Mr. Castellano.”
He knew who I was.
Maeve looked between us.
“You’re not poor?”
I almost smiled.
“No.”
She frowned at the old coat.
“Then why dress like that?”
“Because sometimes people behave differently when they think someone can’t hurt them.”
Daniel understood immediately.
Dominic did too.
I sent Maeve with one of my older bodyguards to the quiet lounge and made sure she had food.
Then I looked at Daniel.
“What does Dominic have on you?”
He went still.
Dominic snapped, “Nothing.”
I ignored him.
Daniel stared at the floor.
“It’s not what he has on me.”
“What does he have?”
Daniel looked toward the lounge where Maeve had disappeared.
“My wife’s debt.”
Dominic cursed softly.
I heard it.
Daniel explained.
His wife, Elise, died the previous year. Before that, medical bills destroyed most of what they had. The bakery nearly closed. Dominic appeared three months later offering help.
A Castellano loan.
At least that was what Daniel believed.
“How much?”
“Twenty thousand.”
I looked at Dominic.
“From club money?”
He said nothing.
Daniel shook his head.
“It became forty-two.”
I turned back.
“How?”
“Fees.”
“What fees?”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“Whatever he wanted that week.”
Protection.
Delivery access.
Late charges.
Street security.
Club contributions.
Every payment created another payment.
That was not a loan.
It was a leash.
Then Daniel said something that made Dominic’s face change again.
“I paid the original amount months ago.”
I looked at my nephew.
“So why is he still paying?”
No answer.
Daniel answered for him.
“Because Dominic said my wife signed something else before she died.”
I felt the room sharpen.
“What?”
Daniel looked at me.
“A transfer giving him the bakery if I ever stopped paying.”
May you like
Then he added:
“My wife never signed it.”
