Chapter 9 - The House That Love Built
Six months later, the kitchen of the Rossi estate was still the size of a commercial restaurant, all brushed steel and white marble.
But at 2:00 in the morning, it didn't feel like a morgue anymore.
A pot of rich, dark coffee brewed quietly on the counter, filling the air with the warm, comforting scent of roasted beans and cedarwood.
Sadi stood by the island, wearing a soft silk robe, her hand resting comfortably over her gently rounded abdomen. The heavy ache of self-doubt and the old, persistent ghost of Derek’s voice were gone, replaced by the unshakeable peace of a woman who knew she belonged right where she was.
The heavy oak door at the end of the hall clicked open.
Heavy, familiar footsteps echoed across the tile floor.
Roman entered, shedding his suit jacket over the back of a chair, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his scarred forearms. He walked straight up behind Sadi, wrapping his strong, protective arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest.
He pressed a warm, lingering kiss against the crook of her neck, his hands resting gently over her belly.
"You should be sleeping," Roman murmured, his voice a gravelly whisper against her skin.
"I couldn't sleep," Sadi smiled, leaning back into his solid, unwavering frame. "I was thinking about six months ago. Standing right here at this sink, whispering into an empty room that I needed a boyfriend by tomorrow."
Roman chuckled—a rich, deep sound that vibrated through the quiet kitchen.
"Best transaction I ever made," he whispered, turning her around in his arms so she could look up into his dark, devoted eyes.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the Chicago skyline glittered against the night sky, a vast, dangerous empire ruled by a man who feared nothing on earth.
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And right here, inside the heart of that empire, Sadi knew she would never have to shrink herself again.
Because the most dangerous man in the city had built his entire world around her.
