The warehouse doors shut behind them with a groan. The night air was damp, heavy with the stink of salt and blood from the harbor. Jay exhaled smoke, Tobias wiped his blade on his sleeve. They had lived to walk out—that alone spoke volumes.
"Not bad," Tobias muttered. "We didn't get killed, so I'm calling that a win."
Jay chuckled. "We didn't just not get killed—we signed the Yakuza under Dominic's banner. That's a damn victory."
His phone buzzed. The name on the screen made both men straighten instantly. Dominic.
Jay answered. "Boss."
Dominic's voice came through, low and commanding even over the line. "I heard. The deal is sealed."
"Yes, boss," Jay replied. "They're on board. They respect your fire."
Tobias leaned closer to the phone. "They tried to test us. We shut it down fast. They know we're yours."
There was silence for a beat, then Dominic spoke, that steel edge in his tone.
"Good. That's why you're where you are—because when you walk into a room, you don't walk in as yourselves. You walk in as my men. Never forget that. My name is the shield and the sword. You carry it carefully, you carry it with pride."
"Yes, boss," they said in unison.
Dominic continued, shifting into precise orders.
"Here's what you'll do: lock down the supply chains, strengthen the alliances we've just made, and keep eyes on Isabella's movements. Every coin that moves, every bullet bought, I want logged. You report directly to me before you make any major call. Understood?"
"Understood," Jay said firmly.
"Crystal," Tobias added.
Then Dominic's voice softened, just slightly—rare, but unmistakable. "And keep things quiet around Elena. She doesn't need stress. The missus is already driving me insane with cravings. Yesterday she wanted pasta drowned in chocolate sauce. Do you know what that looks like? A crime scene."
Jay stifled a laugh. "Boss, with all due respect, you've faced assassins and cartels. A pregnant wife should be nothing."
Tobias added, deadpan, "Unless she asks for sushi at 3 a.m. in the middle of a snowstorm."
For the first time, Dominic let out a low chuckle. "Exactly. You bastards think running the underworld is hard? Try running to five different stores because she suddenly hates the smell of bread. Bread. What the hell do I do with that?"
Jay laughed outright. "You obey, boss. Same rules as the rest of us—you just have a scarier commander now."
Dominic smirked on the other end, though his tone turned firm again.
"Do your jobs. Keep the empire steady. And if anyone even breathes near Elena, I don't care if it's Isabella or the devil himself—you end them. Understood?"
"Loud and clear," Tobias said.
Jay nodded into the phone. "The empire won't stumble, boss. Not while we're standing."
"Good," Dominic replied. His voice was calm, absolute. "Because when I return, I expect my empire intact—and my wife smiling."
The line clicked dead, leaving Jay and Tobias staring at the phone.
"Man's terrified of cravings," Tobias muttered.
Jay grinned. "And yet the world's terrified of him. Balance, brother. That's balance."
Dominic sat with Elena curled against him. The city lights glittered below like jewels scattered in darkness, but his world was narrowed to the gentle weight of her head on his chest.
She sighed softly. "I feel free and safe here."
"You are safe and free ," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "As long as I breathe, nothing touches you or the baby."
For a fleeting moment, the mafia king looked like just a man in love—no empire, no blood, no enemies. Just a father-to-be.
But far away shadows moved.
The glass in her hand shattered against the wall. Wine bled across the floor like the rage in her chest.
Half her soldiers gone. Her influence weakened. Humiliated.
"That bastard Dominic has a legacy now."
Her nails bit into her palm, drawing blood. "No. I will not allow it. I'll rip that child from her womb and burn their fairytale alive."
Her brother's voice haunted her still, his call echoing in her skull. "You wanted to handle it your way, sister. You failed. Father was wrong choosing you. Let me handle it."
She hated him more than Dominic in that moment. Yet… she also knew he had leaked whispers.
And whispers were spreading. Elena's pregnancy was no longer a secret—it was fuel, and Isabella planned to burn the world with it.
Valerie leaned back in her chair, legs crossed, cigarette burning slowly between her fingers. The information had reached her too easily. Too easily. Isabella's brother had made sure of it.
"Elena's pregnant…" Valerie muttered, exhaling smoke. "The girl doesn't deserve to pay for Dominic's sins."
She tapped ash into the tray, a slow smile tugging at her lips. "Isabella, you've made a lot of enemies. Maybe it's time one of us stopped watching and finally ended your reign."
Valerie crushed the cigarette and stood. Her eyes glimmered, sharp and cold.
This isn't about anger and betrayal anymore," she whispered. "This is about justice. And protecting an innocent child."
For the first time in years, Valerie wasn't moving in the shadows,she's ready to wage war.
Elena giggled, trying to balance an absurd number of shopping bags in her arms. Dominic trailed behind, shaking his head, clearly exhausted but unwilling to deny her anything.
"Chocolate milk at 3 a.m., now pickles and strawberry ice cream at 10 a.m.," he muttered. "You're killing me, Elena."
She smirked, looping her arm through his. "Don't complain, Mr. Mafia Boss. You can terrify the Yakuza, but you can't say no to me."
Dominic kissed her forehead, his voice low but fierce. "You're right. I can't. And I won't. Because you're mine. Both of you."
But even as he said it, his instincts itched. He knew peace like this never lasted. And when the storm came, he would have to be ready.
And this time, it wasn't just his empire on the line.
It was his family.