Chapter 4 - The Whispers of the Boardwalk
The transition from a terrified victim to a protected guest in a mafia mansion was not easy for Everly.
She spent her days exploring the vast grounds of the estate. The gardens were beautiful, filled with blooming white roses, stone pathways, and a quiet fountain that played a soothing melody of splashing water. She spent hours sitting by the fountain, reading books from Valerio’s massive library, and letting the clean ocean breeze wash away the stale, smoky memories of the Velvet Room.
But the outside world was not so peaceful.
In the dark corners of the Atlantic City boardwalk, whispers were spreading. Wade Mercer had vanished. His real estate office had been closed overnight, his assets frozen, and his luxury car found abandoned near the salt marshes.
The underground debt collectors—men who worked for rival families, specifically the brutal Lucchese syndicate—were furious. Wade owed them over three million dollars, and they had been planning to use his assets (including Everly) to recover their losses.
Inside his high-rise office overlooking the ocean, Valerio sat opposite his underboss, a sharp-eyed man named Dominic.
"The Luccheses are pushing, Boss," Dominic said, throwing a folder onto the desk. "They know you took the girl. They know Wade signed her over to you. They are claiming that by taking her, you have assumed Wade’s debts."
Valerio let out a cold, dry chuckle. He adjusted the gold cuffs of his shirt. "Let them claim whatever they want, Dominic. Wade Mercer is currently residing in a dry concrete room on Pier 14. He has no assets, no friends, and no future."
"But the girl—"
"The girl is under my personal protection," Valerio said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, gravelly register that made Dominic sit up straight. "She is pregnant, Dominic. And she is off-limits to everyone. If the Luccheses want their three million, they can try to take it from my docks. Let’s see how many of their soldiers return from that harbor."
"Are you sure about this, Valerio?" Dominic asked, his tone soft and concerned. "A war with the Luccheses over a maid from the Velvet Room? It’s... it’s not like you. The board is questioning your judgment."
"The board does not rule this family, Dominic. I do," Valerio said, his gray eyes flashing with a cold, absolute authority. "And my father’s father built this empire on a single, unbreakable foundation: we protect our own. Everly Hartley is under my roof. That makes her ours. Tell the Luccheses that if they want a war, I am more than ready to give them one."
Dominic bowed politely and left the office.
May you like
Valerio stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the gray, churning waters of the Atlantic. He knew the risks. He knew that by protecting Everly, he was painting a target on his own back.
But as he pictured her pale, bruised face and the desperate, brave way she had defended her unborn child, he knew he would burn the entire city to the ground before he let anyone touch her again.
