Chapter 6 - Dawn Over the Estate
The sun began to crest over the frozen Illinois horizon, painting the sky in pale shades of amber and bruised violet. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer as federal authorities and local state police converged on the Caruso estate, responding to the silent panic alarms Dominic had managed to trigger during the height of the attack.
The immediate threat had been neutralized. Marco and his conspirators were securely zip-tied in the basement, awaiting a very long, very uncomfortable interrogation by federal prosecutors. The hidden archive room had been thoroughly swept, and the complete, unredacted records detailing the corruption that had plagued the Caruso family for decades—along with the truth of Elena’s disappearance—were now safely in Dominic’s possession.
I sat on a velvet armchair in the newly rearranged drawing room, sipping a cup of hot black coffee that Dominic had insisted on making himself. A paramedic had wrapped a clean white bandage around his shoulder, but he refused to sit down, pacing restlessly across the floorboards as he watched the police cruisers flood the front drive through the tall windows.
“You realize,” Dominic said, stopping his pacing to look down at me with a soft, steady gaze, “that you essentially saved my life tonight.”
“I was just trying to protect the property,” I replied dryly, taking a cautious sip of the hot coffee. “And honestly, Marco’s tactical training left a lot to be desired. He never checked his blind spot.”
Dominic let out a low, genuine laugh—a sound that seemed to chase away the last remaining shadows of the violent night. He walked over, pulling up a small chair and sitting directly across from me, his dark eyes intense and grounded.
“The contract your agency sent over,” Dominic said quietly, “says your assignment ends next week. Thirty days. Then you’re scheduled to move on to a high-rise penthouse in downtown Chicago.”
I looked down at the coffee mug in my hands, feeling an unexpected pang of heaviness in my chest. Over the past month, this cold, intimidating fortress had somehow begun to feel less like a job and more like... home.
“Unless,” Dominic continued, his voice dropping an octave, smoothing out the rough edges of the mafia boss and leaving only the man beneath, “you decide you want a permanent position. Managing the estate. And perhaps... helping me rebuild what was broken in this house.”
I looked up, meeting his steady, unwavering gaze. The storm outside had completely passed, leaving the Caruso estate quiet, clean, and bathed in the bright, golden light of a brand-new day.
May you like
“Well,” I smiled, leaning back against the velvet cushions. “The foyer layout is still a bit of a mess. I suppose I could stay another month to finish the job.”
Dominic reached across the small table, covering my hand with his own. The calluses on his palm were warm, firm, and entirely grounding. “Take all the time you need, Clara. This house is yours now.”
