Chapter 6 - THE SUNRISE OVER THE MOUNTAINBy dawn, the mansion was quiet again.
The federal authorities—the clean ones, not bought by Marcus—had arrived just before sunrise to collect Marcus Vance and his surviving mercenaries, ensuring they would spend the rest of their natural lives in a maximum-security federal penitentiary. The bodies, the guns, and the chaos were swept away with terrifying, efficient mafia precision.
I stood by the front portico of the Rossi estate, breathing in the crisp morning mountain air.
My rusted sedan was parked right where Leo had promised, gleaming with a fresh wash and a purring engine that sounded smoother than it had in five years.
“Leaving so soon, Nurse Hayes?”
I turned around. Dominic stood at the top of the stone steps. He had changed into a clean black cashmere sweater that concealed his bandages, though he still moved with a slight, careful stiffness. The dark stubble was gone, and despite everything, he looked every bit the powerful syndicate boss who commanded empires.
“My shift is over, Mr. Rossi,” I said, adjusting the strap of my canvas duffel over my shoulder. “And it’s Monday morning. I have rent to pay.”
Dominic walked down the steps toward me, stopping just a few inches away. The morning light caught the sharp angles of his face, softening the harsh lines of danger that usually defined him.
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a heavy, thick manila envelope, holding it out toward me.
“What’s this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
“Your paycheck,” Dominic said simply. “Plus a hazard bonus for exceptional medical services rendered during an active hostile takeover.”
I took the envelope, sliding the flap open just enough to catch a glimpse of the contents. My eyes widened. It wasn't just enough for rent. It was enough to pay my rent for the next five years, buy a brand-new car, and pay off every single medical school debt I had left over from my ER days.
“This is… this is insane, Dominic,” I said, looking up at him in shock. “I can’t accept this.”
“Consider it basic accounting,” he smiled, his gray eyes softening into something warm and entirely unexpected. “You saved my empire, Nora. And more importantly… you didn't run away when things got bloody.”
He took a step closer, closing the distance between us until I could feel the heat radiating off his broad chest.
“In my world, loyalty is rare,” Dominic murmured, his voice dropping into a low, intimate register. “People only stay around for what they can take. You stayed because you had a job to do. And then you fought for your life like a soldier.”
“I’m a nurse,” I whispered, my heart doing a strange, traitorous flutter against my ribs.
“You’re much more than that,” Dominic replied gently. He reached out, his warm fingers brushing a stray lock of hair away from my face. “The gates of this estate are always open for you, Nora. Whether you’re on the payroll or not.”
I looked up at him, realizing that the cold, dangerous mafia boss standing before me had offered me something far more valuable than money: a place where I wasn't just surviving, but where I was truly seen.
I smiled, stepping back toward my car and opening the driver's side door.
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“Keep your stitches clean, Dominic,” I called out over the purr of the newly tuned engine. “If you bleed through those sheets again, you’ll have to find another nurse.”
Dominic stood on the stone steps, watching as I put the car in gear and drove down the winding mountain road, the morning sun breaking brilliantly through the trees, illuminating a future I never expected to have.
