Chapter 7 - A Father's Reckoning
Warehouse 14 was a colossal cavern of steel, shipping containers, and shadow. Rain thundered against the corrugated iron roof as gunshots echoed across the loading docks.
Dominic moved through the shadows like a predator, taking down Julian’s mercenaries one by one with lethal precision. But Julian had drawn Ben away into the upper catwalks, leaving Dominic cornered near the edge of the shipping pier by three armed men.
“It’s over, brother!” Julian’s voice boomed over the warehouse intercom, dripping with venom. “You were always the favorite! Father gave you the company, Elena gave you the heir, and I was left with scraps! Tonight, I take everything!”
Suddenly, the massive industrial roll-up door of the warehouse shattered as Claire crashed the armored sedan directly into the side of the mercenaries' getaway vehicle, crushing their cover and sending the gunmen scattering.
“Dominic! Now!” Claire shouted, throwing the driver-side door open.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Dominic vaulted over a stack of wooden crates, disarming the remaining gunmen with swift, brutal strikes. He rushed to the car, pulling Claire out of harm's way just as Julian descended from the gantry stairs, holding a weapon, his face twisted in desperate rage.
“You ruined everything, you penniless trash!” Julian screamed, raising his gun toward Claire.
Dominic stepped directly in front of Claire, shielding her with his body. A gunshot shattered the air.
Dominic took the bullet in his shoulder, but he didn't fall. Driven by an overwhelming instinct to protect the woman who had saved his life and his son, Dominic closed the distance instantly, disarming Julian with a devastating blow and slamming him onto the concrete floor.
Dominic held Julian down by the throat, his eyes dark with judgment.
“This is for Elena,” Dominic snarled, raising his fist. “And this is for my son.”
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Before he could land a fatal blow, Claire touched Dominic’s arm softly. “Dominic, stop. Don't become what he is. Caleb needs his father free, not in a prison cell.”
Dominic looked into Claire’s eyes. The fiery rage within him slowly cooled, replaced by a deep, profound clarity. He lowered his fist, stepping back as the sirens of the Baltimore Police Department and federal agents blared in the distance, illuminating the foggy harbor in red and blue lights.
