Chapter 6 Six

The air had suddenly gone from being thick with the smell of sweat and leather to being laden with hatred, boiling hatred. Domenico ate up the small distance between them in a few strides, handing his cane to Locke who was standing by his side now, leaving Dom free to move with both hands. He stopped just inches away from Blaze's face, so close the warmth of his breath could be felt.

"Have you got any fucking idea what would happen if that ledger landed in the wrong hands?" Domenico's voice was low, but the venom it carried could rot a man from the inside. "Do you understand the chaos, the blood, the bodies that would pile up? Or are you too busy sniffing after Nicole's ass to think for a second?"

Blaze's jaw flexed as he struggled to contain what was left of his thinning patience, with the smirk still there.

But Dom wasn't done.

"You walk around like the world owes you shit. Carefree. Reckless. And I get it now. You never bled for what you have. You've never had to fight the dirt, the hunger, the dogs snapping at your ankles, you've never been in the thick of it. Everything you have was handed to you like a gift, and what does that make you? Some kind of prince? If that's what you think, you're heavily mistaken."

He didn't stop there. It was almost as if he knew Blaze was on the verge of snapping, and he was determined to see to it that he snapped.

"You're not worthy of trust, Blaze. Not worthy to be left alone with anything, let alone lead men. If, God forbid it happens, you ever end up as a Don, that would be a fucking insult to the Stone name. You're nothing but a spoiled, snake-tongued shit stain who only knows how to ruin what better men built."

Blaze chuckled under his breath, but there was no mirth in it. It was bitter. He spit blood to the side before locking eyes with Dom.

"So, that's what this is about, eh?" His voice was laden with mockery. "Becoming Don, is it? You're worried about me taking it from you." He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth, smearing the blood. "Let's not start talking about who doesn't deserve to be Don, brother. That's a list you don't want your name on."

Dom's lips tightened, before his head angled slightly. "And what is that supposed to mean, Blaze?" The caressing, gentle way he'd said those words was almost terrifying but Blaze wasn't the type to scare easily.

He leaned forward, close enough to whisper but loud enough for the other two brothers to hear. His smirk widened into a taunting smile.

"I mean a blind son of a cock-sucking whore will never be Don. You? You'd be better off working the coat rack at one of our nightclubs. At least then you could pretend to be useful-"

The crack of Dom's fist against Blaze's face cut the insult in half. Blaze's head snapped to the side on impact, blood spraying against the gym mat close to them. Blaze straightened slowly, chest heaving, nearly puffing fire. The smirk was gone now, and in its place was a look of rage.

"You son of a bitch," Blaze snarled. He squared his stance, ready to hit back. But Lars stepped forward, grabbing his arm.

"Blaze, that's enough-"

Blaze shoved him hard, sending Lars stumbling. Then with the agility of a predator that'd found the weak point of its prey, he shifted to Dom's side, fast and low, and then drove his fist into Dom's ribs. Dom staggered back a step, catching his footing despite how brute the punch had been. Blaze grinned viciously.

"Is this how you plan on being Don? Can't even protect yourself without your dog holding your cane?"

Dom swung back before Blaze could finish, this time his fist found Blaze's jaw in a punishing blow that rattled teeth. Blaze's vision flashed white for a second, and the roar in his ears was part rage, part pain.

"You're dead-" Blaze growled, advancing again. But Gabriel stepped in this time, hands out.

"Stop this madness!"

Blaze's fist came out of nowhere, slamming into Gabriel's face. Gabriel cursed out loud, clutching his cheek that was turning red.

That was the moment Blaze raised his hand to hit Domenico, but it was late because Dom had reached into his jacket and pulled the gun. The cold click of the safety being released froze the room. Blaze stopped mid-step, staring at the black muzzle aimed straight at his face and the finger tenderly poised over the trigger.

"You really wanna do this?" Blaze asked, the smirk returning now, but it didn't hide that flicker of shock that was gone as fast as it had come. "Go ahead. Pull the trigger. Don't be a pussy now. Be a man for once in your pathetic, miserable life."

Dom chuckled. It was a slow, humorless sound that made the hairs on the back of the three men's neck stand up.

"Pull the trigger?" he said, tilting his head in that same mocking fashion, like they were talking about the weather. "Killing you here, now, would make me look weak. It'd be like stepping on a helpless insect. Fast, easy, and over too soon."

His finger went to the trigger, resting on it, caressing its surface. But his voice carried more weight than the gun itself.

"No, Blaze. Of course not." he continued, then leaned forward just enough for his words to drip into his younger brother's ear. "I'm gonna deal with you slowly. I'm not rushing this. I'll start with the ledger. I'll hand-deliver it to the right people, make sure every fucking family in the Mafia that wants you down knows your name is all over it. And after that, when the wolves start circling, when every Don from here to Sicily wants your head, I'll start pulling you apart. Piece by piece. Limb to limb. Until you've got nothing left but your pretty little smirk, even that I'll rip off your face."

Blaze's jaw clenched so hard his teeth cracked, the muscles ticked too, but he didn't move. He just stared at his brother, blood dripping from his mouth onto the floor.

Domenico, who was tired of trading words and punches at this point, didn't wait for answers. He lowered the gun, stepped back and gave a small nod to Locke. Then he turned his back on Blaze, on all of them, and walked out of the gym.

Nobody moved after that. Because it felt like the air had been poisoned. Well, it had, just... metaphorically so. Everyone knew the truth that no one dared to say out loud: Domenico meant every single word. And Blaze wasn't going to let him step over him.

It would be war.

Whatever the hell just ignited was going to tear the Stone brothers apart from the inside, all because of a maid who'd been in their house for less than a week.

All because of a maid who didn't even know she'd just lit the fuse.