Chapter 8 - Sins of the Past Laid Bare
Rain lashed against the stone parapet, soaking Dominic’s white shirt and plastering his dark hair to his skull.
Below them, fourteen stories down, the Chicago streets were a blur of siren lights and dark asphalt. The wind howled like a banshee. Maya was sobbing uncontrollably, her tiny hands beating against the mercenary’s body armor.
"Put the girl down," Dominic said, his voice dropping into a register so dark, so cold, that the mercenary visibly flinched. "You walk out of this city alive. You touch a hair on her head, and I will spend twenty million dollars keeping you alive in a basement for the next thirty years just to peel your skin off inch by inch."
"I have my orders from Vanessa Vance!" the man yelled through the rain, his finger tightening on the trigger. "Rossi pays in full!"
A shadow moved behind the gunman.
Natalie.
She had crawled out through the adjoining window onto the narrow ledge behind the mercenary, holding a heavy bronze lamp base from the suite. Her eyes were wide, wild, possessed by the feral fury of a mother whose child was in danger.
She swung with everything she had.
The bronze base smashed into the back of the gunman’s knee.
The man screamed, his leg buckling. As he fell backward toward the drop, he lost his grip on Maya.
"Dominic!" Natalie screamed.
Dominic launched his body forward across the slick, rain-drenched tiles.
He didn't think about his balance. He didn't think about the fourteen-story plunge. He threw himself over the edge, wrapping his massive arms around Maya’s small body just as she slipped over the parapet.
His ribs slammed violently into the concrete balustrade. The breath exploded from his lungs. With his left arm, he clamped Maya tight to his chest; with his right, he seized the iron railing, his muscles screaming under the strain of their combined weight.
The mercenary tumbled into the abyss, his scream swallowed by the storm.
"I’ve got you!" Dominic choked out, rain streaming into his eyes as he hauled his daughter up over the ledge. "I’ve got you, baby, I’ve got you!"
He collapsed onto the terrace floor, pulling Maya against his heart. The little girl buried her face into his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Dominic wrapped himself around her, shielding her from the rain, his own tears mingling with the water on his cheeks.
"You're safe," Dominic whispered, kissing her soaked curls over and over again. "Daddy’s here. Daddy’s never letting go."
Natalie dropped to her knees beside them, her hands frantically checking Maya’s arms, her face, her chest. Finding no injuries, Natalie broke down, throwing her arms around both of them.
For the first time in five years, the three of them were entwined in the rain. Dominic reached out, his trembling hand cupping the back of Natalie’s neck, pulling her forehead against his.
"I’m sorry," Dominic sobbed openly into the storm. "I’m so sorry, Natalie. God help me, I am so sorry."
Natalie didn't pull away. She wept against his shoulder, her fingers gripping the soaked fabric of his shirt.
Footsteps pounded onto the terrace. Marco burst through the doors, followed by a dozen armed Moretti enforcers, their weapons raised.
"Dom!" Marco yelled, rushing over to help them up. "We cleared the floor. Leo is safe inside the vault with the secondary team. And we found Vanessa trying to leave through the basement garage."
Dominic rose slowly, holding Maya tightly against his chest, his other arm firmly around Natalie’s waist. The warmth of his family was back in his embrace, and the rage that took over his face was terrifying to behold.
May you like
"Bring her to the grand ballroom," Dominic commanded, his voice like cracking thunder. "Invite every remaining guest, every board member, and the police commissioner. It’s time to settle my debts."
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