Chapter 8 - The Longest Night
The secure phone buzzed against Claire’s palm just as she was finishing packing a small overnight bag for Noah in the cottage.
She snatched it up instantly, pressing the green button. "Hello?"
"Claire."
Dominic’s voice came through the speaker—deep, steady, and entirely calm, though she could hear the faint rumble of harbor wind in the background.
"Are you okay?" she blurted out, the question escaping before she could filter it. "I heard sirens near the east side about twenty minutes ago—"
"I am fine," Dominic interrupted gently. "The situation at the port has been resolved. Arthur Vance has left the city permanently."
Claire released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, her knees trembling slightly as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "Thank God."
"The car will pick you and Noah up at 5:30 tomorrow morning as planned," Dominic continued, his tone softening further. "I will meet you at Boston Children’s Hospital by 7:00. Do not worry about a thing, Claire. The medical team is the best in the country."
"I know," she whispered, tears of relief stinging her eyes. "Thank you, Dominic."
It was the first time she had used his first name without his title attached.
On the other end of the line, there was a brief, telling pause—a moment of absolute stillness that mirrored those three seconds in the bathroom doorway and the study.
"Get some sleep, Claire," Dominic said softly. "I'll see you in the morning."
May you like
The line clicked dead.
Claire clutched the encrypted phone to her chest, closing her eyes as a profound sense of safety washed over her for the first time in years. The monster of Providence, the criminal port owner, the ruthless heir—to the world, he was all of those things. But to her and her son, he was the fortress keeping the darkness at bay.
