Chapter 6 - The First Word
The rain poured down over the estate, but inside Leo’s room, the fireplace crackled with a warm, amber glow.
Dr. Vance’s toxic drops had been confiscated and replaced with neutralizing saline solution provided by a trustworthy medical team from Johns Hopkins. The swelling in Leo’s inner ears was already beginning to recede.
Leo sat in the center of the large plush rug in his bedroom.
Dominic knelt in front of his son, his towering, powerful frame looking impossibly gentle as he looked at the boy. The feared boss of the city’s underground was trembling, tears streaming uninhibited down his sharp cheeks.
"Leo..." Dominic choked out, his deep voice cracking with profound remorse. "My sweet boy... I'm so sorry. Daddy was so blind. I'm so, so sorry..."
Leo looked at his father. For three long years, he had lived in a dark, painful nightmare, locked inside his own mind, terrified that the evil woman who killed his mother would hurt him too if he ever made a sound.
Slowly, Leo reached out his small hand. He touched the wet tear running down Dominic’s sharp jaw.
Mia sat beside them, holding her yellow plastic teacup. "Tell him, Leo. Tell him your car is rude."
A tiny, breathless sound broke from Leo’s lips.
Dominic held his breath, his heart slamming violently against his ribs.
Leo looked into his father’s eyes. He took a deep, shaky breath, filling his small lungs with air, and spoke the word he had carried in his heart through three years of darkness:
"D-Daddy..."
Dominic let out a ragged, sob-wracked cry. He leaned forward, wrapping his massive arms around his son, pulling him tightly against his chest, weeping openly into the boy's dark hair.
"I'm here, Leo," Dominic sobbed, kissing his head over and over again. "Daddy's here. Nobody will ever hurt you again. I promise you. I promise you."
Leo wrapped his small arms around his father's neck, burying his face in Dominic's shoulder, holding on with all the strength in his little body.
Standing in the doorway, Elena wiped a warm tear from her cheek. She smiled through her tears, feeling a deep, profound peace wash over her soul. She had lost her own infant son, but seeing this father and child reunited had healed a piece of her broken heart that she thought was lost forever.
She stepped back quietly, intending to give them privacy, but Leo’s soft voice called out from behind his father’s shoulder.
"E-Elena..."
Elena froze, turning around.
Leo reached out one small hand toward her, his dark eyes shining with immense gratitude. "Don't... go."
Dominic turned his head, looking up at Elena from the floor. His gray eyes were filled with an intense, raw emotion that made Elena’s breath catch in her throat—reverence, gratitude, and a fierce, blossoming affection that burned brighter than the fireplace.
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"Please, Elena," Dominic whispered, his deep voice heavy with emotion. "Stay with us."
Elena smiled softly, taking Mia’s hand as they walked over and sat down beside them on the warm rug, finally bringing light into the house that had been dark for far too long.
