Chapter 5 - An Offer That Cannot Be Refused
Harlo stared at the velvet box as if it were a coiled rattlesnake. The deli was entirely empty now, save for Hank, who had frozen near the slicer, his face pale with dread.
"I don't want your gifts, Mr. Salvatore," Harlo said, keeping her voice level despite the adrenaline screaming through her veins. "And I don't want your protection. Just pretend you never met me. Pretend your mother never sat on my floor."
Dante let out a low, humorless breath, resting his knuckles on the wooden counter. "Protection, Harlo, is not something you opt out of when your name is already written in our ledger. Last night, the men who bombed Dock 4 were looking for leverage. They knew about you. They knew an old homeless woman had taken shelter in your building."
Harlo’s blood ran cold. "What?"
"They were tracking my mother," Dante continued, his eyes darkening like a stormy sea. "And when they traced her to your street, they pulled your file. Your medical debts, your brother's employment records, your bank logs. To them, you were an easy target to get to us."
He flicked the velvet box open with one finger. Inside lay a single, heavy gold key and a thick stack of documents bearing legal seals.
"The hospital debt is cleared," Dante said quietly. "Paid in full as of three hours ago. The deed to this building—which your current landlord was about to foreclose on to sell to a corporate developer—has been acquired by a holding company. Your name is on the title now. You own it."
Harlo staggered back, her hips hitting the metal counter behind her. "Are you insane? I can't accept this! This is... this is blood money!"
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"This is insurance," Dante corrected sharply, stepping closer. "Because whether you want it or not, every rival syndicate in this city now believes you are a core asset of the Salvatore family. You can walk out of here, Harlo, but you won't survive a block without our shield."
Before Harlo could formulate a reply, the front window of the deli exploded inward in a shower of jagged glass and deafening gunfire.
