Chapter 8 - Aftermath of Blood
Back at the secure compound, a private doctor stitched the cut on Nora’s forehead and gave Sofia a mild sedative to help her sleep through the trauma.
Nora sat on the edge of her large bed, trembling in an oversized t-shirt, staring blankly at the wall. The door clicked open, and Damian walked in. He had showered, washing away the blood, but the violence still clung to him like a shadow.
He knelt on the floor between her knees, resting his hands on her thighs.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice broken. "I brought you into this nightmare. I should let you go. I should pay you and send you far away where they can never find you."
Nora looked down at the ruthless mafia boss, the man who terrified the city, currently kneeling before her like a penitent sinner.
"Do you want me to go?" she asked softly.
Damian looked up, his gray eyes shining with unshed tears and agonizing love. "If you walk out that door, Nora, I will have nothing left. You are my light. You are Sofia's mother in every way that matters. I love you to the point of madness. But I will not let you die for me."
Nora reached down, cupping his face. "I'm not leaving, Damian. I accept the dark parts of you, because I know you only use them to protect the people you love. Go finish this. Make us safe."
May you like
Damian closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. When he opened them, the vulnerability was gone, replaced by the cold, calculating king of the underworld.
"I will be back by dawn," he promised, kissing her deeply. "And the Moretti family will no longer exist."
