Chapter 5 - THE FIRST MAN WHO TOUCHED HER AFTER RAYSix weeks after the fracture, Norah’s cast came off.
Dr. Aris approved light normal duty.
That evening Gabriel hosted six senior men inside his study.
Norah carried Macallan on a silver tray.
Her left hand supported only the edge.
She moved carefully around the table.
Then Dominic Russo reached for his glass.
His hand closed around her healing wrist.
Pain exploded.
Norah gasped.
Dominic laughed.
“Steady, girl.”
His grip tightened without thought.
At the head of the table, Gabriel stopped moving.
“Dominic.”
One word.
The entire room changed.
Dominic looked toward him.
Gabriel slid a heavy silver cigar cutter across the table.
It stopped inches from Dominic’s hand.
“Let go.”
Dominic immediately released Norah.
“Gabe, I wasn’t—”
“You touched an employee after she tried to pull away.”
“It was nothing.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“That sentence has excused more stupidity than almost any other.”
Dominic swallowed.
“My apologies.”
“To her.”
Dominic looked at Norah.
“I’m sorry.”
Gabriel’s attention stayed on him.
“And?”
Dominic’s face reddened.
“I won’t touch you again.”
Norah nodded.
“Good.”
Gabriel looked toward her.
“Kitchen. Ice.”
She left.
In the hallway, she leaned against the wall, breathing too fast.
For a moment she was back in the alley.
Ray’s hand.
The twist.
The crack.
Footsteps approached.
Gabriel stopped several feet away.
He did not touch her.
That mattered.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Norah almost smiled despite herself.
“You’re learning.”
“Apparently.”
She looked toward the study.
“You threatened to cut off Dominic’s fingers.”
“I was making a point.”
“Do you ever make points with words?”
“Occasionally.”
“Try more often.”
Something close to amusement appeared.
Then Norah said:
“They think I’m protected because I belong to you.”
Gabriel’s expression flattened.
“I heard you the first time.”
“Then stop reinforcing it.”
“What would you have me do? Let men touch staff because correcting them creates gossip?”
“No.”
She paused.
“Tell them nobody gets touched.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Not just me.”
Silence.
Then:
“Fair.”
The following morning, every senior man in Gabriel’s organization received a written house rule.
No employee of the estate is to be touched, threatened, cornered, or harassed.
No exceptions.
No mention of Norah.
Mrs. Gable read the notice twice.
Then looked at her.
“What did you do?”
Norah folded another sheet.
“I complained.”
May you like
Mrs. Gable stared.
Apparently, in the Rossi estate, that was more revolutionary than violence.
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