Chapter 5: THE GANGSTER’S SOFT SPOT

DANIEL'S POV

For six years, I have ruled Hell’s Kitchen. Not a single day has passed without an enemy trying to bring me down. But no matter how hard they try, I always stay on top. My name carries power, fear, and respect. People don’t dare to cross me unless they have a death wish.

My biggest problem? The Dogs of Hell. A ruthless gang led by Gideon, my biggest rival in the drug business. He has tried everything to push me out, but I’m always one step ahead. My calculations never fail. That’s why I control everything— the NYPD, the mayor, even the governor of New York City. It didn’t happen overnight. It took blood, sweat, and a sacrifice so big that it changed my life forever. But that’s a story for another day.

Because of my influence, I built my own gang— Damon. They call me the Demon of Hell’s Kitchen, and my men are known as Damons. The name suits us. We don’t forgive. We don’t forget. And we never back down.

But everything changed the day I met him.

The Stranger Who Wouldn’t Leave My Mind

It started as a normal day— until I found myself saving a handsome guy from getting robbed by the Dogs of Hell. It wasn’t part of my plan, but I saw something in him. I didn’t know what. Maybe curiosity. Maybe something more.

That night, I took his number. His name was Marcus. But I could tell he didn’t feel comfortable around me. It wasn’t hard to figure out why. I am a mafia lord, after all. A killer. A criminal. Someone people don’t want to associate with. And I won’t change for anyone. Not even for him.

Still, I wanted him to see that there was more to me than just blood and violence. Maybe, just maybe, if I showed him the good in me, he would reconsider.

The next day, I ordered some of my men to guard his store. The Dogs of Hell don’t give up easily, and I wasn’t about to let them take what was mine. Marcus wasn’t mine yet, but I wasn’t letting Gideon get to him either.

It had been five days since the attack, and I could feel the shift between us. Something was changing. The distance he once had was starting to fade.

Then came the phone call that changed everything.

...

I was in my office, enjoying the afternoon, when one of my men handed me my phone. The name on the screen made me raise an eyebrow.

Angel.

The deputy police officer. The man who cleaned up my messes and made sure the cops stayed out of my business. If he was calling, it had to be important.

“Good afternoon, Daniel,” Angel greeted.

I exhaled smoke through my nose, resting my cigarette on the ashtray. “What’s up, Angel?” I asked, leaning closer to the line of cocaine on my desk.

“I’m calling to apologize for what happened this morning,” Angel said.

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“One of my officers arrested you. He didn’t know who you were. I deeply regret it,” Angel said.

I sat up straight. Arrested?

That was impossible. I hadn’t been arrested this morning. In fact, I hadn’t even stepped out of my place all day.

“You must be mistaken, Angel. I wasn’t arrested this morning,” I said coldly.

There was a pause on the other end. “You were. You were brought to the station this morning, and one of your men came to pick you up after fifteen to twenty minutes,” Angel insisted.

I clenched my jaw. Something wasn’t right.

“What was the guy’s name?” I asked.

“Hold on, let me check,” Angel said.

The line went silent for a moment. I tapped my fingers against the desk impatiently, waiting for his answer. Then he finally spoke.

“The name was Marcus,” Angel said.

The air around me went still.

Marcus?

The only Marcus I knew was my Marcus.

I tightened my grip on the phone. “I’ll get back to you,” I muttered before ending the call.

A wave of unease settled over me.

What the hell was going on?

Angel wouldn’t call me unless he was sure of what he was saying. That meant someone who looked like me had been arrested. And Marcus— my Marcus— had shown up at the station.

There were only two possibilities.

One, it wasn’t the same Marcus, and this was just a strange coincidence.

Two, my enemies were playing a dangerous game.

And in the underworld, little things matter.

Your rivals don’t sleep. They don’t stumble. They don’t stop until they find a way to bring you down.

Gideon was ruthless. He knew how to twist situations to his advantage. Was this one of his tricks?

I wasn’t going to sit around and wait to find out.

If this was a game, I was going to play.

And I don’t lose.

---

This is only the beginning. If Gideon or anyone else thinks they can use Marcus to get to me, they’re wrong.

Because I will burn down everything before I let anyone take what’s mine.