Chapter 2 - THE MAN WAITING ON ELM STREET
The emergency physician examined Naomi's neck and ordered imaging to assess possible internal injury.
Damian waited outside while she answered the doctor's questions.
When she emerged, he was standing beside the window.
His sleeves were rolled up.
His tie was gone.
He looked less like a crime boss and more like a man who had been worrying for hours.
“The doctor wants to observe me for a while,” Naomi said.
Damian nodded.
“Good.”
She sat beside him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she asked, “Did Caleb call?”
Damian looked at her.
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to negotiate.”
Naomi felt sick.
“About me?”
“About money.”
She closed her eyes.
Damian continued, “I told him not to contact you again.”
She looked up.
“And?”
“He laughed.”
Naomi stared at the floor.
“He does that when he thinks he's winning.”
Damian's expression tightened.
“Then he's mistaken.”
Later that night, Damian's security chief, Enzo Bellini, arrived with photographs.
A black sedan.
A man standing beside it.
Caleb Warren.
Naomi recognized him immediately.
“He was outside my shop.”
Enzo nodded.
“We found footage from a nearby business.”
Damian studied the images.
Then looked at Naomi.
“Would you be willing to give the police a statement?”
She hesitated.
Caleb had threatened her before.
He had told her nobody would believe her.
But now she had the hospital records.
The messages.
The photographs.
And two men who had seen enough to know she wasn't inventing anything.
She took a breath.
“Yes.”
Damian nodded.
“Then we'll make sure you can do that safely.”
The next morning, Naomi received another message.
You think Russo can protect you?
Then another.
Ask him what happened in Newark.
She stared.
Damian noticed her expression.
“What?”
She handed him the phone.
He read the message.
His face changed.
Not with fear.
Recognition.
Naomi watched him.
“Damian?”
May you like
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he said, “There's something you need to know.”
