Chapter 8 - The Dawn Over Westchester
By 6:00 AM, the storm had passed.
The rain had stopped, giving way to a brilliant, pink-and-gold sunrise over the Hudson Valley.
Police cruisers and federal vehicles lined the long cobblestone driveway of the Moretti estate, their red and blue lights flashing against the wet oak trees.
Claire sat on the wide stone steps of the front porch, wrapped in a heavy grey blanket provided by an EMT. She held a steaming paper cup of black coffee in her hands, watching federal agents load Dominic into the back of an armored transport van.
Dominic’s attempt to eliminate his brother and kidnap the triplets had been fully documented by the mansion's internal security servers. His connection to Elena’s fatal accident had already been flagged for a federal grand jury investigation. He was going away for the rest of his life.
Footsteps sounded on the stone porch behind her.
Claire turned. Adrian was walking toward her.
He had changed into a clean black shirt, though his left arm was wrapped in a neat white bandage where a bullet fragment had grazed his forearm. His face was washed, but the dark bruises under his eyes testified to the nightmare they had just survived.
He sat down on the stone step beside her, leaving a respectful foot of space between them.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. They simply watched the sun rise over the treeline.
"The federal prosecutor just left," Adrian said finally, his deep voice quiet against the morning breeze. "Dominic won't ever touch my family again. The shipping lines are secure."
"Good," Claire said softly, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'm glad."
Adrian turned his head, his amber-grey eyes searching her face. "The boys are asleep upstairs. Martha gave them warm milk. Before they went to sleep... Julian asked if you were going to be here when they woke up."
Claire looked down at her hands, her heart twisting. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.
The clock on the screen read: SUNDAY - 5:58 PM.
Technically, forty-eight hours had passed. The contract was complete.
"I need to go home, Adrian," Claire whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "My daughter... Lily... she's waiting for me in Queens. I have an eviction notice to pay."
Adrian reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a thick, white cream envelope and held it out to her.
Claire took it. Inside was a cashier's check made out to Claire Donovan for one hundred thousand dollars.
"The contract was for twenty," Claire said, looking up in shock.
"Twenty was for forty-eight hours of nanny work," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a register of raw, unvarnished sincerity. "The rest is for saving my sons' lives. And for saving mine."
Claire closed the envelope, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "Thank you, Adrian."
She stood up, pulling her blanket tighter around her shoulders, preparing to walk down the steps toward the taxi Adrian had arranged for her.
May you like
Adrian stood up with her. He took one step closer, closing the distance between them until she could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Don't leave, Claire," he whispered.
