Chapter 6 - The Neighborhood's Shield
Over the next three weeks, the quiet war for Harbor City raged on, but not with bullets. It was a war of whispers, paperwork, and missing shipments.
Carmine’s empire was bleeding. Every time he tried to move a shipment of smuggled goods, the police were already waiting, tip-offs coming from untraceable payphones. His captains were growing restless; the steady stream of cash they had expected after Dominic’s "death" had dried up into a trickle of legal fees and union disputes.
Meanwhile, Sweet Treats Bakery became the beating heart of the South Harbor community.
Dominic, using Tony as his legs and his own formidable reputation as his shield, had quietly established an informal "neighborhood watch." The local street gang, the Red Devils, who had once terrorized the local shopkeepers for protection money, had been visited by Tony. Tony hadn't fired a shot; he had simply shown them a video of their leader's house and mentioned that Dominic Russo was back, and that he considered 4th Street his personal courtyard.
The extortion stopped overnight.
One sunny afternoon, Leo was sitting on the floor of the back office, building a massive tower out of empty cardboard flour boxes. Dominic watched him, his chin resting on his hand.
"Hey, Dom," Leo said, not looking up from his construction.
"Yeah, kid?"
"Why do you have so many phones?" Leo pointed to the three burner phones sitting on the desk.
"Well," Dominic said, "different phones are for different friends. Some friends only like to talk on the blue one. Some only on the red one."
"Do you have a phone for my mom?"
Dominic quieted for a moment. "No. I don't need a phone for your mom. She's right out there."
"She likes you," Leo said matter-of-factly, carefully balancing a flat box on top of the tower. "She doesn't cry at night anymore. She used to cry when she looked at the bills. Now she sings when she makes the dough."
Dominic’s chest tightened. He looked toward the kitchen curtain, where he could hear the faint, sweet sound of Nora humming a old radio tune. He had spent his whole life surrounded by women who wanted his money, his power, or his protection. None of them had ever looked at him the way Nora did—as a man, flawed and broken, but worth caring for anyway.
"She's a special woman, Leo," Dominic said.
"Are you going to be my new dad?" Leo asked, looking up with wide, innocent eyes.
The question caught Dominic like a punch to the solar plexus. He stared at the boy, completely speechless. He, Dominic Russo, the man who had ordered hits and run the docks of Harbor City, a father? The very idea was terrifying.
"Leo," Dominic began, his voice rough. "I'm... I'm not the kind of man who gets to be a dad. I have a lot of enemies. And my life is very complicated."
"But you're good at chess," Leo said, pointing to the wooden board Dominic had set up on the side table. "My mom says dads are supposed to teach you things. You could teach me chess. And how to make Tony do what I want."
Dominic couldn't help but laugh. "Tony is a professional, Leo. He only listens to me because I pay him."
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"No, he doesn't," Nora’s voice said from the doorway. She was leaning against the frame, a soft smile on her face. "He listens to you because he loves you, Dominic. Just like everyone else in this neighborhood is starting to."
Dominic’s laughter died, his eyes locking onto hers. The warmth in her gaze was undeniable, and for the first time, he didn't try to push it away.
