Chapter 3 - The Web of Deception

694 The mafia boss’s attack dog was trained to fear no one—until a terrified catering worker hummed six familiar notes. The silver catering tray slipped from her hands and struck the black-and-white marble with a sound sharp enough to silence the penthouse. White dishes shattered. Small towers of tuna and avocado collapsed into red pepper sauce, which spread between the fragments like something wounded and bright. The black delivery case landed on its side behind her. The dog did not flinch. He crouched directly in front of Nina, enormous shoulders raised, thick collar trembling against the rumble in his chest. Old scars crossed his black muzzle and disappeared beneath the tan fur at his jaw. His lips pulled farther from his teeth. Four men in black suits stood several yards behind him. Their hands hovered near their jackets. Nina could not feel her fingers. She could not hear the rain against the windows or the chandelier crystals trembling above them. She saw only the white crescent on the dog’s chest. “Ghost?” The name left her as a breath. The Rottweiler’s growl broke for half a second. A tall man stepped out from beside the cream-colored sofa. His black suit looked untouched by the heat of the crowded room or the rain outside. His face was narrow, controlled, almost expressionless, but his amber-brown eyes moved quickly from Nina to the dog. “Do not move,” he said. Nina’s knees had already weakened. She lowered herself slowly, ignoring the sauce soaking through the fabric at one knee. The dog’s rumble deepened. The man took another step. “Do not approach him.” “I’m not.” “You’re moving.” “I’m making myself smaller.” “Stop.” She stopped with both knees on the marble. The Rottweiler’s eyes stayed fixed on her face. Dark, intelligent, frightened eyes. Not the blank aggression of an animal waiting for permission. Something inside him was fighting with something older. Nina swallowed. Her lips had begun to shake. Then she hummed. It was not much of a song. Six notes, simple and descending, repeated in a pattern her grandmother had used while folding laundry. Nina had sung it during thunderstorms, during baths, during the long nights when a puppy with oversized paws had refused to sleep unless his head rested across her ankle. The dog’s ears moved forward. One of the guards shifted. The man in the black suit lifted a hand without looking back. The guard froze. Nina kept humming. The Rottweiler’s teeth disappeared slowly behind his lips. His head tilted. The growl faded into an uncertain vibration. He crawled forward. The movement looked wrong for an animal his size. He lowered his chest to the marble and dragged himself with careful, frightened steps, his claws clicking between pieces of porcelain. Nina held out one open hand. The dog sniffed her fingers. His breath came hot and uneven across her palm. Then he pushed his head into her hand so hard that her shoulder rocked backward. A small sound came from him, broken and high. Nina’s breath collapsed. “It’s me,” she whispered. Ghost pressed harder. His body folded against her knees, massive and trembling. She cupped his scarred face. He licked the inside of her wrist once, then shoved his muzzle beneath her arm as though trying to crawl into a space that no longer existed. Nina’s eyes filled, but she did not cry. She could not. Crying would have required air. The man in the suit crouched several feet away. For the first time, his control slipped. His mouth parted slightly. His gaze moved from Ghost’s lowered ears to Nina’s hand buried beneath the studded collar. “How do you know my dog?” Nina looked at him. Ghost turned with her, pressing his shoulder protectively against her body. “Because he was stolen from me.” Nobody moved. Beyond the windows, rain blurred Manhattan into towers of white and red light. Somewhere behind Nina, a catering worker set down a tray too carefully. The quiet click traveled through the room. The man’s expression closed. “What’s your name?” “Nina Vasquez.” “Who sent you here?” “My company.” “That isn’t what I asked.” “I don’t know what you think this is.” “I think a woman walked into my home, called my dog by a name she should not know, and made him forget six years of training.” “Ghost was his name before anybody trained him to do this.” The dog lifted his head at the sound of it. The man noticed. Nina noticed him noticing. He glanced toward the guards. “Clear the room.” The youngest guard looked at the broken dishes. “Mr. Castellano, the guests—” “Now.” People began moving without argument. The private dinner had been arranged for twenty-two guests, most of whom had spent the evening pretending not to recognize one another. A state senator’s fundraiser had occupied the penthouse the night before; this gathering was quieter and, according to Nina’s supervisor, more important. No one asked for a coat. No one complained about unfinished food. Nina’s supervisor, Marjorie, crossed the marble with a white napkin clenched in one hand. She was usually pink-cheeked and quick, a woman who could smile while firing a dishwasher. Now her face had gone gray. “Nina,” she whispered. “Stand up.” Ghost growled. Marjorie stopped. “I can’t,” Nina said. “What do you mean, you can’t?” “He’ll think you’re pulling me away.” Marjorie’s gaze darted to Lorenzo Castellano. “Mr. Castellano, I am deeply sorry. She’s never behaved—” “Leave.” “She works for me.” “Not anymore.” Nina looked up sharply. Marjorie opened her mouth, closed it, then bent to retrieve the fallen delivery case. Ghost bared his teeth. She abandoned it and backed away. Nina watched her disappear with the other workers. The service elevator doors closed. The soft music from hidden speakers had stopped. Only the rain remained, tapping against the glass. Lorenzo rose to his full height. “Rocco, take her phone.” The broadest guard approached from Nina’s left. Ghost lunged halfway to his feet. The guard stepped back. “Don’t,” Nina said. “Please.” She was speaking to Ghost, but everyone obeyed. The rest is in the first comment. 📄

10 chapters