Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Gatehouse
By midnight, the bleeding had stopped, the fourteen deep lacerations on Titan’s flank were securely stitched, and Rosalind was transferred under armed guard to the stone gatehouse near the western perimeter of the sprawling estate.
The gatehouse was small, rustic, and smelled of burning cedar and damp earth. Titan had followed her every step of the way, refusing to sleep more than three feet from her cot. He was her shadow now—a terrifying, twelve-stone shield that made every guard in Dante’s syndicate give her a wide, respectful berth.
Rosalind sat by the small hearth, staring into the flickering orange flames. Her phone buzzed against the wooden table. It was a text from her sixteen-year-old brother, Marcus: “Hey Ro, when are you coming home? The landlord came by again. He’s talking about changing the locks tomorrow morning.”
Panic clawed at her throat. She needed that paycheck. But working for Dante Castellano wasn't a normal housekeeping job; it was stepping into a viper’s nest where corporate corruption, cartel politics, and family blood feuds collided behind high iron gates.
A sharp knock echoed at the wooden door. Before Rosalind could answer, the heavy oak swung open.
Nonna Castellano stepped inside, wrapped in a heavy black shawl, holding a steaming ceramic mug of honey tea and a bundle of fresh clothes. At seventy-eight, the matriarch of the Castellano crime family commanded more silent terror than any capo in the organization. Her dark eyes were sharp, missing nothing.
"Drink," Nonna commanded, setting the mug down on the table before looking over at Titan, who let out a low, protective rumble from the corner. She held up a wrinkled hand, and the dog instantly quieted, recognizing the alpha matriarch.
"Mr. Castellano said I have to stay here," Rosalind said stiffly, hugging her knees to her chest. "I have a brother. I can't just vanish."
"Dante does not keep people here for long, Rosalind. He keeps them because he has no choice," Nonna replied, her voice raspy and low. She pulled up a wooden stool and sat down opposite her. "Let me tell you something about that dog. Titan didn't just snap one day. He was poisoned from the inside. Someone in this estate—someone close to Dante—is trying to tear our family apart from the inside out. They wanted Titan dead because the dog knows things human beings try to hide."
Rosalind’s breath hitched. "What kind of things?"
"A scent," Nonna said, leaning forward, her dark eyes glittering in the firelight. "A specific chemical cologne used by someone in this very house. Titan attacked the handlers because they smelled like the traitor. But when he smelled you... he smelled clean blood. He smelled honesty."
The words sent a shiver straight down Rosalind’s spine. "You think someone in Dante's inner circle is trying to betray him?"
May you like
"I don't think. I know," Nonna said firmly. "And now that you have saved Titan, you are standing directly in the crosshairs. Be very careful which doors you open in this house, child. Some doors only open inward—and once you walk through them, there is no way back out."
Before Rosalind could process the warning, Nonna stood up, patted her shoulder with a bony, surprisingly warm hand, and slipped back out into the chilly night, leaving her alone with the massive pit bull and a mountain of terrifying questions.
