Chapter 6 - The Ultimatum
Gabriel gestured slightly with his hand. Marco eased his grip just enough to allow Ryan to draw a ragged breath, though he kept the younger man pinned hard against the hot metal hood.
"Who are you?" Ryan whimpered, blood trickling from a small cut on his lip where he had struck the engine block. "What do you want from me?"
"My name is Gabriel Romano," Gabriel said quietly.
Ryan’s face instantly lost every drop of blood. Even in the low-level criminal circles of Brooklyn, the name Romano was legendary. It was a name associated with quiet executions, total market control, and absolute ruthlessness. Ryan realized in an instant that his life was hanging by a microscopic thread.
"Mr... Mr. Romano," Ryan stammered, his eyes wide with utter terror. "I’m sorry. I didn't know... I didn't mean to offend you. Claire is just my ex-wife, I didn't know she knew you—"
"Claire cleans my house," Gabriel interrupted sharply. "And her daughter wept on my living room floor today because of you."
Gabriel reached inside his coat once more. Ryan flinched, closing his eyes tightly as if expecting a bullet. Instead, Gabriel pulled out a thick leather envelope and tossed it onto Ryan’s chest.
"In that envelope is fifty thousand dollars in cash," Gabriel said.
Ryan blinked, stunned by the sight of the thick stack of bills poking out from the leather flap. "What?"
"That is for the past-due child support you owe," Gabriel said coldness dripping from every word. "And tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, you are going to wear a clean suit, you are going to put on a smile, and you are going to walk into Lily’s preschool for Family Day."
Ryan stared at the money, then up at Gabriel’s unyielding eyes. "I... I can do that! Absolutely, Mr. Romano. I’ll be there. I swear it!"
"You will stay for the entire event," Gabriel continued, ignoring Ryan’s eager babbling. "You will tell her she is beautiful. You will tell her you are proud of her. You will hold her hand, and you will act like the father she deserves for two hours."
"Yes, sir! Whatever you say!"
"And then," Gabriel’s voice dropped to a whisper that chilled the damp air of the garage, "you will hand over your parental rights to Claire. You will sign the surrender documents my attorneys prepare. You will leave New York, and you will never, ever contact Lily or Claire again."
Ryan stared at him, caught off guard. "Sign away my rights? But—"
Marco squeezed Ryan’s throat again, cutting off his breath instantly.
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"If you fail to show up tomorrow," Gabriel whispered, tapping his cigarette ash onto Ryan’s shirt, "or if you ever make that child cry again, I will personally see to it that you disappear into the Hudson River. Do you understand me, Ryan?"
Ryan nodded frantically, tears of panic streaming down his grease-smudged cheeks. "I understand! I swear I understand!"
