Chapter 5 - A Mother's Strength
The next afternoon, the atmosphere in the Moretti estate was thick with unspoken tension. Vincent and Marcus were finalizing the logistics for the midnight operation at the South Side docks, while Claire tried to distract herself by spending time with Tommy in the sprawling courtyard.
Tommy was running around the grass, playing with a toy dinosaur Vincent’s men had delivered earlier that morning. Watching her son laugh, completely oblivious to the shadow of a mafia war hanging over them, brought a faint smile to Claire’s face.
"He looks happy," a deep voice remarked from behind her.
Claire turned to find Vincent standing on the stone patio, watching Tommy with an unreadable expression. He was dressed in a simple black button-down shirt and dark trousers, a casual look that somehow made him seem even more intimidating.
"He is," Claire said, leaning against the stone balustrade. "He loves it here. He thinks it's a castle."
"It can be a castle for him for as long as he wants," Vincent said, walking over to stand beside her. He looked out over the gardens, his jaw tight. "I didn't have a childhood like that. My father brought me into the business when I was fourteen. By the time I was Tommy’s age, I already knew what a gunshot sounded like."
Claire looked at his profile, noticing the faint scar running along his jawline. "Is that why you're so protective of Sophia? You want her to have the life you didn't?"
"Sophia’s mother died when she was five," Vincent said quietly, the memory bringing a shadow of deep grief to his eyes. "An illness we couldn't stop, no matter how much money I threw at it. I swore to her before she passed that I would keep our daughter safe. I built these walls to keep the world out. But I realized lately... I also kept her in a prison." He turned his head to look at Claire, his dark eyes softening. "But when I see her with you, or with Tommy... she laughs. She acts like a normal teenager. You brought life into this house, Claire."
Claire’s heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his voice. "I just treated her like a person, Vincent. She was terrified that day. She just needed comfort."
"And you gave it to her, despite the danger," Vincent said, stepping closer. The proximity between them felt charged, a magnetic pull that had been growing stronger with each passing day. "You have a strength inside you, Claire. It’s different from mine. Mine is built on violence and fear. Yours is built on love and sacrifice. It’s... beautiful."
Claire’s breath hitched. No one had ever looked at her the way Vincent was looking at her right now—like she was something precious, something to be revered. Before she could answer, Tommy noticed them standing together and ran over, holding up his toy T-Rex.
"Look, Mr. Vincent! The T-Rex is guarding the castle!" Tommy shouted excitedly.
Vincent knelt down, matching the boy’s eye level, a completely natural gesture that made Claire’s stomach do a complicated flip. "He’s doing an excellent job, Tommy. But remember, a good king also needs to make sure his people are fed. Are you ready for dinner?"
"Yes! Chief Marco said we’re having homemade pizza tonight!" Tommy cheered, turning and running back toward the mansion doors where Sophia was waiting for him.
Vincent stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving Claire’s face. The domesticity of the moment hung in the air, a beautiful, fragile contrast to the violence that awaited him at midnight.
"I have to leave in an hour," Vincent said softly.
Claire stepped forward, her heart pounding. Without thinking, she reached out and took his large, calloused hand in hers, her fingers locking with his. "Be careful, Vincent. Don't let them hurt you."
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Vincent stared down at their joined hands, a profound, heavy emotion washing over his face. He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against her knuckles.
"I will come back to you, Claire. That is a Moretti promise," he murmured, his voice thick with a sudden, intense devotion that felt very much like a vow.
