Chapter 5 - The Council of Fire
The safety Julian promised was put to the test the following week. The estate was locked down like a military compound, the limestone perimeter walls lined with double the usual security detail. From my window, I could see men with automatic weapons patrolling the manicured gardens every hour, their dark suits a stark contrast to the turning autumn leaves.
Dominic had called a meeting of the high council—the inner circle of the Rossi syndicate—to decide the fate of his brother, Michael.
I had been cleared to walk with the assistance of a polished wooden cane, the skin on my ankle now protected by a clean white bandage. I couldn't stay in the bedroom any longer; the walls were beginning to feel too much like the basement. I wandered down the grand marble hallway, the sound of my cane clicking softly against the stone, until I reached the double oak doors of the grand library.
The doors were slightly ajar, and the sound of angry voices leaked out into the corridor.
"He’s your blood, Julian!" an older man with a raspy voice shouted from within. "The commission will not support a Don who executes his own brother over a civilian. Michael made a tactical error, yes, but he did it to protect the ledger! If that information leaked to the DA, half the capos at this table would be facing federal indictments."
"Michael did not protect the ledger," Julian’s voice responded, its tone so cold it felt like ice dropping into the room.
"He kept a woman chained to a floor like an animal because he was too lazy to handle the cleanup properly. He brought the scent of blood into a residential neighborhood. He violated the first law of my leadership: we do not target those who do not choose this life. If we lose our discipline, we are no longer an empire, Silvio. We are just thugs with expensive suits."
"So what is the punishment?" another voice asked, lower and more cautious. "An exile?"
"An exile is too soft," Julian hissed. "Michael will be stripped of his territory in the North Side. His assets will be liquidated and placed into a trust to cover the medical and living expenses of Clara Lin for the rest of her life. And as for Michael himself... he will be turned over to the low-security prison facility in Indiana under a corporate tax fraud charge. He will spend the next ten years behind bars, where he can think about what happens to Rossis who forget how to be men."
A murmur of protest rose from the table, but Julian slammed his hand down on the mahogany surface, a sound that silenced the room instantly. "The decision is final. If anyone at this table has an issue with my judgment, you can step outside into the courtyard right now and settle it with my enforcers. Otherwise, sign the decree."
I stood in the hallway, my hand gripping the handle of my cane so hard my knuckles turned white. He was dismantling his own family’s structure to punish the man who had hurt me. He was risking his position as Don to give me justice.
The double doors suddenly swung open, and Julian stepped out into the hallway, his dark overcoat trailing behind him. He stopped when he saw me, his fierce blue eyes instantly softening as they scanned my face.
"Clara," he said quietly, closing the doors behind him to block out the council. "You shouldn't be out of bed. The doctor said you need to rest the leg."
"Why are you doing this, Julian?" I asked, my voice trembling as I looked up at him. "Michael is your brother. These men... they could turn on you."
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Julian walked over to me, stopping close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his chest. He reached out, his massive hand hovering near my shoulder before slowly dropping back to his side, as if he were afraid his touch would break me.
"My brother died the day he locked you in that basement, Clara," Julian said, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "A man who does that to a helpless woman has no blood relation to me. I don't care about the council. And I don't care about the commission. I care about making sure you can look in the mirror again and know that the monster who took your life is paying for every single second you spent in the dark."
