Chapter 6 - THE ENEMY AT THE DOOR
Mid-morning, the diner door swung open to reveal a man named Sal Romano, one of Dante’s senior captains whom Ella had occasionally seen meeting shady characters around the neighborhood. Sal scanned the diner with suspicious eyes, his hand resting ominously inside his jacket. He asked Ella if she had seen a tall man with an injured side pass through the alley. Ella’s heart slammed against her ribs as she calmly lied, stating she had worked alone all night and seen nothing. Sal narrowed his eyes, tossing a hundred-dollar bill onto the counter, and warned her that Southie was getting dangerous before walking out into the rain.
Sal Romano radiated casual menace. Dressed in an expensive Italian wool suit that looked utterly out of place among the grease-stained stools of Sullivan’s, he moved like a predator sniffing for wounded prey. His sharp eyes darted across the dining room, taking in every detail—the wet floor near the back, the tension in Ella’s posture, the faint shadow visible through the kitchen door.
“You look pale, sweetheart,” Sal drawled, stepping closer to the counter until the scent of expensive cologne mixed with the smell of frying bacon. “Are you sure you didn't have any uninvited guests crashing in the cold last night?”
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“Just tired, Sal,” Ella forced herself to reply, maintaining eye contact despite the terror threatening to buckle her knees. “Double shifts will do that to you.”
Sal smiled, but his eyes remained cold as ice. He dropped the hundred-dollar bill, letting it slide across the counter. “Keep the change. And remember—if anyone comes asking questions about a stray dog bleeding in the alley, you let me know first. It’s good for your health.” With that, he turned on his heel and walked out, leaving Ella shaking so violently she had to grip the edge of the sink to keep upright.
