Chapter 5 - Reluctant Protection
Sadie thought she was safe when she unlocked her cramped, second-floor apartment door in South Philadelphia. She tossed her keys onto the counter and ran her burned hands under cool tap water, trying to shake off the surreal nightmare of the penthouse. But when she turned around, two massive men in dark suits were standing silently in her tiny living room. She gasped, grabbing a kitchen pan, but one of them held up a palm calmly. “Relax, Ms. Miller. Mr. Russo sent us,” the lead guard said smoothly. “You’re relocating.” Before she could argue, a black SUV idling outside was already waiting to sweep her away from her home. Within an hour, Sadie found herself deposited back into a fortified luxury suite, not as a caterer, but as a heavily guarded guest of the most feared man in the city. When Dominic walked into the suite later that evening, Sadie was pacing like a caged animal. “This is kidnapping!” she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You can’t just abduct people because you feel like playing bodyguard!” Dominic crossed his arms, looking at her with a calm, unyielding stare. “Carl Bennett gave your name to the Morales family an hour ago, Sadie. If you had stayed at your apartment, you’d be sleeping in a morgue right now. You’re here because your life is in danger, whether you like it or not.”
