Chapter 5 - FACE TO FACE
Nora pressed her back against the kitchen counter, her knuckles white as she gripped the cast-iron skillet. The front door handle jiggled, but she had thrown the heavy brass deadbolt before running inside.
"Lena, don't make me break the door down," Dominic’s voice came through the wood, dangerously soft, yet carrying an absolute, terrifying weight of finality. "I didn't bring a weapon. I just want to talk."
With a sudden, explosive crack, Dominic didn't wait for her permission. He threw his shoulder against the wooden frame with brutal force. The deadbolt tore through the rotting cedar jamb, and the door flew wide open, crashing against the interior wall.
Dominic Moretti stepped into her dim, cluttered kitchen.
He looked immaculate as ever in a dark cashmere coat, though his face was carved from granite, pale and drawn with an exhaustion that mirrored her own. His dark eyes swept the room before locking directly onto her standing by the stove, her swollen belly hidden beneath an oversized flannel shirt, clutching a skillet like a shield.
Dominic stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze dropped slowly from her pale face down to her protruding stomach.
The air rushed out of his lungs. The ruthless syndicate boss, the man who could execute a traitor without blinking an eye, looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
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"My God," Dominic whispered, his voice cracking entirely. He took a slow, disbelieving step forward. "You're... you're pregnant."
"Stay back," Nora warned, her voice shaking, holding the skillet higher. "Don't take another step toward me, Dominic."
