Chapter 10 - The Unbreakable Fortress
Six months later.
Spring had returned to New York. The trees in St. Jude’s Cemetery were filled with fresh pink blossoms, and the air was warm, sweet, and filled with the singing of birds.
A large construction crew had spent the last two weeks at the Caruso plot in the cemetery.
The black marble gravestone that had once borne Lily’s name was gone, smashed into dust and removed from the grounds forever.
In its place stood a magnificent, sprawling marble garden bench, surrounded by white rose bushes and fresh green grass, dedicated to the memory of Lily’s biological mother.
Dominic and Lily sat together on the white marble bench, watching the afternoon sun filter through the cherry blossom trees.
Dominic wore a clean blue suit, his arm wrapped around Lily’s shoulders, pulling her close to his side. Lily wore a bright yellow sundress, her dark curls bouncing in the spring breeze, her gold heart locket catching the sunlight.
Paulie Vane stood thirty yards away near the black SUV, watching his Don with a quiet, deep respect.
The Caruso Syndicate was stronger than it had ever been in thirty years. The Moretti family had fallen into line, the street bosses were fiercely loyal, and the East Coast supply routes were completely secure under Dominic’s absolute rule.
But everyone in New York knew the golden rule of the underworld: Dominic Caruso was a fair Don, but if anyone so much as looked at his daughter with a shadow of malice, he would burn their world to the ground without hesitation.
"Daddy?" Lily asked softly, looking up into his amber eyes.
"Yes, Principessa?"
"Do you ever get scared?"
Dominic looked down at his daughter—at her bright brown eyes, her soft skin, her unshakeable spirit that had survived darkness, hunger, and treason to bring him back from the dead.
He reached out, tucking a wild curl behind her ear, his hand strong, warm, and steady as stone.
"I used to be scared, Lily," Dominic said softly, his voice rich, deep, and filled with an unbreakable, absolute truth. "I was scared of losing you. I was scared of being weak. But when I look at you, I know that nothing in this world can ever break us again."
Lily smiled, leaning her head against his broad shoulder, resting her hand over the gold locket resting against her chest.
"We're invincible, Daddy," Lily whispered.
May you like
Dominic wrapped his arm tighter around her, looking out over the quiet, sunlit garden of his city—a city he ruled, an empire he built, and a daughter who was his entire world.
"Yes, Principessa," the Don of New York murmured into the warm spring air. "We are invincible."
