Chapter 4 - Shadows Over the City
Three months passed.
The news of a blind girl taming Julian Hart’s bloodthirsty German Shepherd spread through the underground like wildfire. In the dark alleyways and high-end criminal lounges, people spoke of "The Ghost Dog" and the little girl who held his leash.
With the million dollars, Leo had moved Maisie out of their dangerous neighborhood into a quiet, sunlit house on the outskirts of the city, near a massive oak forest. He used part of the money to hire top eye specialists to evaluate Maisie’s condition, though doctors warned that surgery had only a slim chance of restoring her sight.
Cyrus had transformed completely. Gone was the frantic, snarling beast of the underground arena. In the peaceful sanctuary of their new home, Cyrus was gentle, loyal, and endlessly protective. He never left Maisie’s side. He guided her through the woods, stopped her before she stepped onto roads, and rested his head on her lap while she learned to read Braille.
However, money brought from the mafia came with invisible chains.
One rainy Thursday evening, a slick black sedan pulled up to their driveway. The headlights cut through the heavy pouring rain, casting long, ominous shadows across their front lawn.
Cyrus was the first to react. Sitting by the fireplace, his ears twitched forward. A low, warning rumble started in his throat before Leo even heard the car doors slam outside.
"Cyrus, quiet," Maisie murmured from the sofa, but her hands tightened around her book.
The front door opened without a knock. Marcus, Julian Hart’s ruthless lieutenant, walked in, rain dripping from his heavy leather trench coat onto the polished hardwood floor. Behind him stood two heavy-set enforcers with their hands tucked inside their jackets.
Leo jumped up from the kitchen table, his heart pounding against his ribs. "Marcus? What are you doing here? I paid off all my old debts! Mr. Hart gave us that money fair and square!"
Marcus sneered, sweeping his arrogant gaze across the clean, brightly lit living room. "The Boss gave you cash, kid. But he never said you were out of his debt."
Marcus stepped into the living room. Cyrus immediately moved, placing his huge body directly between Marcus and Maisie. The dog didn't bark; his lip curled back slightly, revealing gleaming white teeth, his dark eyes locked onto Marcus’s throat.
Marcus took an instinctive step back, his hand darting to the shoulder holster under his coat. "Keep that monster back!"
"He won't hurt you unless you try to hurt us," Maisie said calmly, sitting up straight. "Why are you here, Mr. Marcus?"
Marcus adjusted his wet collar, trying to regain his composure. "Julian needs the dog. There's a situation."
Leo stepped forward defensively. "No! Mr. Hart gave Cyrus to Maisie! You can't take him back!"
"Listen to me, you little idiot," Marcus snarled, his eyes narrowing into cold slits. "A rival syndicate—the Moretti crime family—has moved into the North Docks. They captured one of our safehouses. Julian’s younger brother, Thomas, was taken hostage inside. The building is rigged with motion sensors and night-vision traps. Our men can't get close without getting picked off by snipers."
Marcus leaned in, his voice dripping with malice. "Moretti’s men have trained attack dogs guarding the inner corridors. But Julian remembered Cyrus. Cyrus was bred in the Eastern European combat camps. He knows how to clear a blind building without light, without sound."
"He's not a weapon anymore!" Maisie said, her voice rising with sudden passion as she wrapped her arms around Cyrus's thick neck. "He's a family member!"
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Marcus drew a silencer-equipped pistol from his coat and pointed it straight at Leo’s head.
"You don't understand, little girl," Marcus growled. "This isn't a request. Either the dog comes with us to save Julian’s brother... or I put a bullet through your brother's head right now and take the dog anyway."
