Chapter 3 - Shadows and Betrayals
Forty-eight hours later, the pediatric Intensive Care Unit on the tenth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital was locked down tighter than a military bunker.
Armored guards in dark suits stood at every elevator bank. The entire wing had been cleared of non-essential personnel under the guise of a high-profile diplomatic security detail.
Inside Room 1014, the blinds were drawn against the gray Chicago rain.
Arthur lay in the center of the bed, connected to heart monitors and a low-dose IV drip. The gray flush had left his cheeks, replaced by a healthy, faint pink. He was sleeping peacefully, his small hand resting inside Fiona’s palm.
Fiona sat in the armchair beside him, wearing fresh scrubs. She hadn't left the hospital in two days. She had personally supervised every medication dose, every blood draw, and every meal delivered to the room.
The heavy door clicked open.
Dominic walked in.
He looked exhausted. Dark shadows bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and his jaw was covered in a two-day stubble. But when his eyes landed on Fiona and Arthur, the harsh lines around his mouth instantly softened.
He carried a paper bag that smelled faintly of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans.
“You haven't slept,” Dominic said softly, closing the door behind him.
“Neither have you,” Fiona replied with a small smile.
Dominic walked over to the bed, setting the bag on the nightstand. He pulled out a warm cup of coffee and a fresh blueberry pastry, handing them to her.
“Eat,” he ordered gently. “That’s a command from the man paying your salary.”
“I’m off the clock, Mr. Costello,” Fiona countered, taking the cup anyway. The warm ceramic felt wonderful against her cold hands. “And you still haven't paid me for the overtime.”
A low, genuine laugh escaped Dominic’s chest—a sound so rare and rich that Fiona found herself staring at him.
Dominic dragged a chair over to the other side of the bed and sat down. He reached out, his massive fingers gently smoothing back Arthur’s dark hair.
“The toxicology report came back from the state lab,” Dominic said quietly. “The poison was a custom blend of batrachotoxin and organophosphates. In small, nightly doses, it causes severe muscular spasms, hallucinations, and eventual respiratory paralysis. Within two more weeks... he would have suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.”
Fiona set her coffee down, her blood running cold all over again. “How could a mother... even a stepmother... do that to a child?”
“Money,” Dominic said, his voice dropping into a bitter dark edge. “My father’s trust agreement states that if I die, forty percent of the Costello estate assets pass directly to Arthur, administered by a legal guardian until he turns twenty-five. Victoria knew that if Arthur died first, and then I met with an... unfortunate accident, the entire estate would revert to her.”
“And Moretti?”
“Moretti was going to provide the 'accident' once Arthur was out of the picture,” Dominic said. He looked at Fiona, his blue eyes intense and dark. “Reed signed a full confession before Gabe handed him over to the federal authorities. Victoria is currently in a federal holding facility in Cook County, facing charges of attempted murder, conspiracy, and treason under federal racketeering laws.”
Fiona let out a long breath. “It’s over.”
“No,” Dominic said softly. “It’s just beginning.”
He reached across the bed, his broad hand resting over Fiona’s on the mattress. His skin was warm, firm, and surprisingly gentle.
“Moretti knows the plot failed,” Dominic said. “He knows I have Reed’s confession, which implicates his entire syndicate in federal wire fraud and illegal toxin importation. He is desperate, Fiona. A desperate snake strikes at whatever is closest.”
Fiona looked down at their joined hands. A strange, electricity surged through her skin at his touch—a feeling of absolute safety combined with a dangerous, thrilling heat.
“You’re moving us,” she realized.
“I have a safehouse in Wisconsin,” Dominic said. “A cabin in the Northwoods, built on eighty acres of private land. Tactical security, full medical equipment, isolated from every road. I am sending Arthur there tonight.”
Fiona looked up, her jaw setting into a stubborn line. “I’m going with him.”
Dominic paused, studying her face. “Fiona, you have done more than enough. You fulfilled your contract. I have already wired five hundred thousand dollars to your bank account—enough to pay off your loans, your mother’s bills, and buy a house of your own. You don't owe my family your life.”
Fiona stood up, her eyes blazing.
“Do you think I did this for money, Dominic?” she asked, her voice trembling with indignation. “I stayed in that house because that little boy was dying in the dark! I stayed because he held my hand and cried! I don't care about your mafia wars, and I don't care about your money. Arthur needs a nurse who knows his medical baseline, and right now, I am the only person he trusts!”
Dominic stared at her, stunned by her outburst.
Slowly, he stood up. He towered over her, his imposing frame filling her vision. He stepped around the bed until he was standing inches from her.
Fiona refused to back down, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze.
Dominic lifted his hand, his thumb gently tracing the curve of her jawline. The gesture was so tender, so laden with restrained passion, that Fiona’s breath hitched in her throat.
“You are the most extraordinary woman I have ever met,” Dominic whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “In my world, people stay for power, for fear, or for greed. No one has ever stayed out of love.”
Fiona’s heart slammed against her ribs. Love.
May you like
“I’m coming to Wisconsin,” she breathed, her eyes locking onto his lips.
“Yes,” Dominic said softly, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. “You are. Because if anything happened to you, Fiona... I would burn this entire city to the ground.”
