Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Underworld
Over the next three days, the North End penthouse transformed into an unexpected haven.
For Sarah, the luxury was overwhelming. She had gone from living paycheck to paycheck in a dangerous neighborhood to resting in a sanctuary where private chefs prepared delicious, healthy meals, and a personal nurse monitored her recovery.
Her head wound healed quickly, but the deeper wounds—the psychological trauma of Derek’s relentless abuse—took longer to mend.
Matteo, surprisingly, was a constant, quiet presence.
He didn't intrude on their privacy, but every evening at 6:00 p.m., he returned to the penthouse. He would take off his heavy coat, sit on the plush floor with Emma, and let her teach him how to play her favorite board games.
Watching him from the kitchen, Sarah was captivated by the contrast.
This was a man whose very name made powerful politicians tremble, yet here he was, sitting cross-legged on an Persian rug, meticulously losing a game of Candy Land to an eight-year-old girl because he couldn't bear to see her sad.
"You're cheating, Matt," Emma accused playfully, pointing a finger at him. "You deliberately landed on the Licorice Space!"
Matteo put his hands up in mock defense, a faint smile warming his sharp features. "I assure you, Emma, my strategy is completely sound. The Licorice Space build character."
Emma giggled—a bright, clear sound that filled the massive penthouse with life.
Sarah walked into the living room, carrying two mugs of hot tea. She set one down on the side table near Matteo.
"She’s right, you know," Sarah said softly, her eyes sparkling with rare amusement. "You're terrible at board games."
Matteo looked up at Sarah. The swelling on her face had gone down, revealing her soft, lovely features—gentle hazel eyes, high cheekbones, and warm blonde hair tied in a loose braid over her shoulder. Every time he looked at her, he felt a strange, protective warmth settling deep in his ribs.
"I'm accustomed to games with higher stakes," Matteo replied smoothly, taking a sip of the tea. "Candy Land is far too unpredictable."
"Matt!" Emma tugged on his sleeve. "Can we bake cookies tonight? Mama makes the best chocolate chip cookies!"
Matteo looked at Sarah, offering a quiet, inquiring look. "Only if your mother feels up to it."
Sarah smiled warmly. "I'd love to. We have all these amazing ingredients in the kitchen that your staff brought in. It's the least we can do."
An hour later, the grand marble kitchen smelled heavenly of melting chocolate, warm butter, and vanilla.
Emma was standing on a wooden stepstool, vigorously stirring the cookie dough, her face smudged with flour. Matteo stood nearby, awkwardly holding a baking sheet under Sarah’s direction.
"No, Matteo," Sarah laughed softly, stepping close to adjust his hands. "You have to space the parchment paper evenly, or the cookies will bake together into one giant blob."
Her hand brushed against his forearm as she guided his fingers. Matteo went completely still.
Sarah realized how close she was standing—inches from his broad chest, smelling the clean scent of cedarwood and faint tobacco on his skin. She looked up into his dark eyes, her breath catching in her throat.
For a long second, neither of them moved. The room fell silent except for the hum of the oven.
"Thank you, Matteo," Sarah whispered, her voice filled with deep, sincere gratitude. "For everything. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for what you've done for us."
"You don't owe me anything, Sarah," Matteo said, his deep voice thick with an emotion he rarely permitted himself to feel. "Having you and Emma here... it’s restored something I thought was dead a long time ago."
Before Sarah could ask what he meant, the heavy wooden doors of the private foyer clicked open.
Vincent walked in, his expression dark and tense. He stopped at the edge of the kitchen, looking nervously at Sarah and Emma before catching Matteo’s eye.
"Boss," Vincent said quietly. "We have a situation. Don Dante has called an emergency meeting of the Five Families at the Grand Harbor Hotel. He knows Derek Walsh is missing, and he knows Walsh was one of his crew's earners."
Matteo’s expression instantly turned into cold marble. The warm family atmosphere evaporated in a fraction of a second.
"Stay here with Emma, Sarah," Matteo said calmly, setting the baking sheet on the counter.
He walked over to the hallway where Vincent was waiting, pulling his heavy black coat over his shoulders.
"Does Dante know Sarah and Emma are here?" Matteo asked in a low whisper.
"Not yet," Vincent replied grimly. "Dante thinks Walsh was killed over a gambling debt. But he’s using Walsh’s disappearance as an excuse to push into our northern shipping docks. He thinks you've gone soft because you haven't been seen at the lounge for three days."
Matteo adjusted his silk tie in the mirror, his dark eyes burning with lethal intent.
"Dante wants to see if I'm soft?" Matteo whispered, a dark, terrifying smile touching his lips. "Let's go show him."
He turned back to the kitchen doorway. Sarah was standing there, holding a cloth, her eyes filled with worry.
"Will you be back for the cookies?" Emma called out from her stepstool.
May you like
Matteo looked at Emma, then at Sarah. His heart, once cold and dead, beat with a fierce, protective fire.
"Keep three cookies warm for me, Emma," Matteo said softly. "I'll be back before bedtime."
