Chapter 6 - The Line Is Crossed
The tension inside Callahan’s was so thick it felt physically impossible to breathe.
Dominic, a high-ranking enforcer for the rival Moretti crime family, grinned maliciously. "You getting soft, Leo? Coming down to Dorchester every night for a little piece of home cooking? The Boss thinks you've lost your edge since your kid got lost in the snow."
Mina shrank back behind Leo, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She could see the outlines of weapons under the men's jackets.
Leo didn't move a muscle. He simply adjusted the cuff of his shirt. "You came into my territory. You brought weapons into a building where this woman works. You have made a fatal error in judgment, Dominic."
"Is that right?" Dominic sneered, raising his hand toward his jacket.
Before Dominic could draw his weapon, the diner’s front glass shattered.
Two of Leo’s elite bodyguards, who had been watching from the street, burst through the side doors. The confrontation was over in less than five seconds. A flash of motion, the sickening sound of dislocated joints, and both Moretti enforcers were pinned face-down on the greasy tile floor, disarmed and groaning in pain.
Leo didn't even look down at them. He walked over to the counter, pulled a stack of napkins, and wiped a small smudge of dust off his shoe.
"Take them to the docks," Leo instructed his men smoothly. "Tell Moretti that if I see another one of his men south of the river, I will personally burn his entire empire to the ground."
"Yes, Mr. Vance," the guards grunted, dragging the two groaning men out into the rain.
The diner fell quiet again, save for the sound of rain falling through the broken front window.
Mina stood trembling near the kitchen door. The reality of Leo’s world had just violently invaded her safe haven. She saw the absolute, ruthless authority he possessed—a power that could eliminate human lives without a second thought.
Leo turned to her. The terrifying coldness in his face instantly softened as he saw her trembling hands.
"Mina," he said softly, stepping toward her.
"Don't," Mina whispered, taking a step back. "Leo... this is what your life is. Guns, violence, broken windows... people wanting to kill you."
Leo stopped in his tracks. A shadow of profound pain crossed his features. "I protected you."
"I know you did!" Mina cried, tears welling in her eyes. "And I'm grateful. But I can't live like this, Leo. I came to Boston to escape fear. I can't spend my life waiting for a bullet to come through that window and hit me... or hit Ezra!"
Leo stood frozen in the middle of the diner. For the first time since she had met him, the great mafia boss of Boston looked entirely helpless.
"You're right," Leo said quietly after a long silence. His voice was hollow. "You deserve peace, Mina. A quiet life. A safe life. I brought danger to your door, and for that, I am sorry."
May you like
He pulled a thick card from his wallet and placed it on the counter. "My contractors will be here in the morning to repair the window and the door. You won't see me again."
He turned and walked out into the rain, leaving Mina alone in the quiet, shattered diner.
