Chapter 6 #2
He didn’t. If Dominic wanted more, he could ask.
A chair shifted. “Rivera,” one of the men said, leaning forward with a smirk, “you recruiting kids now?”
A few laughs circled the table.
Dominic didn’t even glance at them. “Sometimes new blood works out,” he said, still watching Knox.
Knox kept his face neutral, didn’t react or look away.
After a moment, Dominic leaned back, the pressure easing just enough to breathe. “Wait over there,” he said. “I’ll be done shortly.”
Knox stepped back without argument, retreating toward the edge of the gaming floor where the shadows were thicker and he could observe without being watched quite so openly.
His gaze kept drifting back to Dominic. Not just because caution told him to keep track of the most dangerous man in the room, but because it was impossible not to watch him.
There was something magnetic about him. Even surrounded by men who looked capable of violence, Dominic stood apart.
No one interrupted him. No one challenged him.
He never needed to raise his voice; the authority was in the way he carried himself.
Even when he smiled, it wasn’t warmth so much as promise—of danger, of power, of something Knox couldn’t quite name but felt drawn to all the same.
He wondered if he was the only one who saw how easily Dominic could shift from charming to lethal in a single breath.
A few minutes later, the meeting broke apart. One by one, the men disappeared into the casino, leaving Dominic alone at the table. He rolled his shoulders, then lifted a hand and crooked a finger. It was such a small gesture, and still unmistakably a summons.
Knox crossed the distance. By the time he reached the table, he had his expression under control, his shoulders loose, whatever nerves remained buried as deeply as he could force them.
Dominic watched him, dark eyes intent. “Sit.”
Knox slid into the chair opposite him. Up close, the effect was worse. The control was simply there, settled into his posture. “You handled yourself well tonight,” he said.
Knox let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I did what you told me.”
The corner of Dominic’s mouth curved. “Did anything feel off?”
“You mean besides the gun?”
Dominic didn’t react. “Go on.”
Knox shook his head, anger flashing before he could suppress it. “He shoved me and put a gun against my ribs. The other one just stood there. Waiting. Like it was completely normal.”
Dominic nodded, like none of that surprised him.
Knox let out a disbelieving breath. “You knew that was a possibility?”
“They’re distrustful,” he answered. “And a little unstable. New faces make them nervous.”
Knox just stared at him.
“I knew they wouldn’t like seeing you,” Dominic continued. “I didn’t know how they’d react, but this isn’t out of character for them.”
That did it. Knox’s expression hardened. “So you sent me in blind?”
Dominic held his gaze, unbothered. “It told me what I needed to know.”
Knox counted to three before speaking. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“That you follow instructions,” Dominic said. “That you stay functional under pressure.”
The calmness of the answer only made the anger worse. “So your strategy was what? Throw me in and see if I get shot?”
“They didn’t shoot you.”
Knox’s jaw clenched, tighter this time. “Wow. Comforting. That feels like a low bar.”
For the first time, something like amusement flickered across Dominic’s expression. “You walked out. That’s what matters.”
Knox wondered if he should be grateful for the honesty, or resentful for being thrown in headfirst. He settled for neither. “So,” he said after a moment, “did I pass?”
Dominic looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You passed. Those guys are trigger-happy bastards. When they feel nervous, they get twitchy. You kept your head. That’s worth something to me.”
Something in Knox eased at that. Not the anger. But for the first time in far too long, he had the strange sensation of being recognized—maybe even valued.
Dominic picked up his drink, considering him over the rim. “Are you hungry?”
The question hit Knox so unexpectedly he blinked. “Uh. Yeah. Actually.”
Dominic signaled to a passing server. “Get us something from the kitchen,” he said. Then his attention returned to Knox.
Silence settled between them as the casino moved around them in restless noise. Knox stared at the table, unsure whether this was some kind of reward or just another phase of whatever game Dominic was playing.
Dominic broke the silence first. “In this business, you learn not to skip meals. Or sleep. That’s how people get sloppy. And sloppy gets people killed.”
Knox managed the ghost of a smile. “Noted.”
When the plates arrived, the smell of steak and roasted potatoes curled through the air, and he had to stop himself from reaching for the food the second it touched the table. His stomach tightened hard enough to remind him how long it had been since he’d eaten.
Dominic didn’t bother with small talk. He just began eating, calm and efficient, leaving Knox to follow suit.
And somehow, despite everything, the moment felt oddly normal.
As though they were two ordinary men having a late meal in a casino.
Except Knox knew better. Every flavor hit harder because Dominic sat across from him.
By the time the plates were cleared, Knox felt steadier.
Dominic set his fork down first, glancing at Knox with a look that was hard to read.
“You keep doing what you’re told and things will go smoothly for you.
But if you decide to get clever—” His tone didn’t change, but the threat was unmistakable. “You know how that ends.”
He felt the words land like a lock snapping shut, every exit closing. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I get it.”
The words tasted bitter, but there was nothing else to say. This wasn’t a negotiation; it was survival. He was in the middle of something he couldn’t control, forced to play along or lose everything. It was Dominic’s game. Dominic’s rules. All Knox could do was keep up.
Dominic leaned back, apparently satisfied. “Good. You’ll be hearing from me.”
Knox nodded, unsure whether he’d been dismissed or was expected to linger. But Dominic had already picked up his phone, his attention shifting elsewhere, moving seamlessly on to the next order of business.
Knox stood and slipped back into the crowd. In that moment, he understood: there was no room for mistakes and no way out but through.