Chapter 4 - The Safehouse
By three o'clock in the morning, Roman knew the DeLuca mansion was no longer safe for Maya and Sofie. Falcone knew he had failed to kill Roman, which meant the rival boss would target the only vulnerability Roman possessed—the maid and her daughter who had ruined his plot.
A convoy of bulletproof black SUVs slipped out of the estate’s hidden rear gate, winding through the quiet rain-swept streets of Chicago until they reached an unassuming residential neighborhood on the north side.
The vehicle pulled into the underground garage of a secure penthouse building owned under a front corporation.
Inside the luxury penthouse, Maya carried a sleepy Sofie into a spacious bedroom lined with warm oak paneling and plush carpets.
After tucking Sofie into a large, comfortable bed wrapped in silk sheets, Maya walked out into the living room.
Roman was standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, staring out at the city skyline with a glass of scotch in his hand. He had stripped off his suit jacket, wearing only a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the crisp bandages on his forearms.
“She’s fast asleep,” Maya said softly, standing a respectful distance away.
Roman turned around. The harsh yellow light of the room reflected off his strong jaw and dark, tired eyes.
“Sit down, Maya,” Roman said gently, gesturing toward the leather sofa. “Please.”
Maya hesitated before sitting on the edge of the cushion. “Mr. DeLuca... you don't have to keep us here. I can take Sofie and go to my sister’s house in Indiana. We don't want to be a burden to your family.”
“You are not a burden,” Roman said firmly, setting his glass on the table and sitting in the armchair opposite her. “Two years ago, when you applied for the maid position at my house, do you know why I hired you?”
Maya shook her head gently.
“I looked at your resume, and I saw a young mother who had been abandoned by a wealthy, abusive husband who used his political connections to strip her of everything she owned,” Roman revealed softly. “I saw a woman who refused to surrender, who worked three jobs just to buy diapers for her baby. I respect strength, Maya. I recognized it in you the first day you walked through my door.”
Maya looked down at her hands, her lower lip trembling slightly as memories of her painful past surfaced.
“And today,” Roman continued, his voice thick with emotion, “you ran into a burning shed to cut my ropes while your three-year-old daughter fought off my enemies with a hose and a brick. You saved my life, Maya. Both of you.”
“You gave us safety when we had nothing, Mr. Roman,” Maya whispered, looking up into his dark eyes. “We protect the people who protect us.”
Roman reached across the small table and gently laid his large, warm hand over hers. Maya didn't pull away. A strange, powerful heat passed between them—a connection forged in fire and mutual respect that went far deeper than employer and employee.
“As long as I have breath in my body,” Roman swore softly, “no one will ever hurt you or Sofie again. You are under my protection forever.”
Before Maya could answer, Roman’s encrypted phone buzzed on the table.
May you like
He picked it up, his face instantly hardening as Vince’s voice came through the speaker.
“Boss, we located Marco. He’s at Falcone’s private dockyard on the river. But there’s a problem... Falcone just deployed thirty heavily armed mercenaries toward your location. They tracked the secondary vehicle.”
