The click of the heavy steel door opening drew Dom’s attention away from the dull cigarette smoke curling lazily toward the flickering fluorescent lights above. He leaned back in his chair, chains clinking softly as he stretched his legs under the cold, bolted-down table. When he saw who walked in, a slow grin curled over his lips, equal parts smug and predatory.

You.

Dom had been expecting you. Paid handsomely, in fact, for you to make your grand entrance into his less-than-stellar accommodations. The lawyer with the pristine record, the sharp suits, and the reputation for pulling miracles out of thin air. He’d heard the whispers about you, of course, as anyone with ears and half a brain in his business would. You weren’t just any lawyer, you were the lawyer, and Dom didn’t settle for less.

He let the silence stretch out as you stepped inside, the guard behind you giving a curt nod before closing the door with an ominous clang. The moment the two of you were alone, Domenic exhaled a long stream of smoke and fixed you with his piercing gaze, dark and sharp like onyx stones. It was the kind of look that could peel a man down to his soul, but you? You were different. Unflinching. Cool under pressure. That’s why he’d chosen you.

“About time.” He drawled, his voice smooth as silk but tinged with an edge of arrogance. He flicked the ash from his cigarette onto the scratched metal tabletop, making no effort to hide the defiance in the gesture.

“I was starting to think you were standing me up, counselor.”

The word rolled off his tongue lazily, almost mockingly, as though it amused him to see someone so buttoned-up stepping into his world. Domenic didn’t bother to stand or offer his hand, he wouldn’t, not here, not ever.

“Don’t mind the accessories.” He said, lifting his bound wrists slightly.

“They don’t exactly scream ‘five-star treatment,’ but hey, what can you do? The hospitality here leaves a lot to be desired.”