Chapter 7 - RECLAIMING THE THRONE
By ten that evening, the private medical suite inside my fortified Manhattan high-rise was quiet. The surgeon had removed the bullet from my shoulder, closed the wound with eighteen precision stitches, and pumped me full of local anesthetics and antibiotics.
I walked into the adjoining recovery room. My mother was resting propped up against silk pillows, an IV drip hydrating her fragile frame. Her bruises were dark purple against her pale skin, but she was awake, sipping hot broth brought to her by Elena.
Elena stood by the window, her hands clasped tightly, still visibly shaken by the horrors of the day.
"Mama," I said gently, kneeling beside the bed.
Sophia reached out and stroked my cheek with her soft, bruised palm. "You came back to me, Dominic. I knew you would."
"I am so sorry, Mama," I whispered, resting my forehead against her hand, letting the weight of my failure crack my stoic facade. "I brought that serpent into our home. I trusted her. I put you in danger."
"You loved with an open heart, my son," my mother replied softly, her voice carrying the timeless strength of an Italian matriarch who had survived five decades of mafia wars. "That is not a weakness. But trusting the wrong people is a mistake you only make once. What will you do with them?"
"They will face justice, Mama. Family justice."
I turned my gaze toward Elena. The young girl tensed, ducking her head respectfully.
"Elena," I said, standing up.
"Yes, Mr. Vance?" she stammered, terrified she might have overstepped.
"Today, grown men with automatic weapons turned coward and sold their honor for paper," I said, looking directly into her eyes. "You stood alone against two armed killers. You took a blow to the face, hid in the vents, and risked your life to save my mother. You saved the Vance family."
Elena blinked through sudden tears. "Mrs. Vance treated me like a daughter when my own family had nothing in this country. I couldn't let them hurt her."
I reached into my coat and pulled out a signed cashier's check and a set of gold keys from the duffel bag. "Starting tomorrow, you and your family are under the permanent protection of the Vance syndicate. The penthouse on the Upper East Side is deeded in your mother's name. Your college education, and your siblings' futures, are paid in full. You are family now, Elena. Anyone who looks at you with malice answers directly to me."
Elena gasped, covering her mouth as my mother smiled warmly through her tears, nodding in agreement. "Thank you, Mr. Vance... thank you!"
May you like
I checked my watch. 11:30 PM.
"Rest, Mama," I kissed her cheek. "I have one final meeting to conduct before the city sleeps."
