Chapter 15
Russo crossed his arms, his rosy cheeks turning a darker shade of red. "Arthur Sinclair told us to hold the line, Dominic. You disrespected his blood. We aren't moving a single crate until he gives the word."
Dominic did not argue. He did not raise his voice. He took one slow, deliberate step forward, entirely ignoring the hundreds of hostile men surrounding him. The absolute, sociopathic calm he projected was profoundly more terrifying than any shouted threat.
"Arthur Sinclair," Dominic stated softly, "does not own these docks. He merely rents the privilege of operating here. A privilege I can revoke... permanently."
"You can't touch me, Vale," Russo barked, trying to rally his men. "I'm the head of the local chapter! You touch me, and the entire eastern seaboard strikes!"
With blinding, explosive speed, Dominic’s right hand shot out. The sharp, refined tattoos on his knuckles blurred as he grabbed Russo violently by the throat. He didn't just grab him; he utilized his massive core strength to lift the burly union boss completely off his feet.
The crowd gasped, stumbling backward in sheer terror.
Dominic held Russo suspended in the bright, cinematic sunlight, his grip crushing the man's windpipe. Russo’s legs kicked wildly, his face turning an ugly shade of purple.
"The eastern seaboard," Dominic murmured, his face inches from the choking man, "belongs to me. If this pier is not fully operational in five minutes, I will not fire you, Frank. I will bury you under the foundation of the new warehouse."
He forcefully hurled Russo backward. The union boss crashed heavily onto the concrete, gasping and retching for air.
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"Get to work!" Silas roared at the paralyzed dockworkers, drawing his weapon.
The strike broke instantly. The men scrambled toward the cranes and the ships, utterly terrified of the monster who had just asserted his absolute dominance. Dominic smoothed his crisp white shirt, turning his back on the coughing union leader. The first battle was won, but Arthur Sinclair had officially declared a shadow war.
