Chương 4 - Safe Harbor
"Sophia!" I gasped, pushing myself out of the armchair despite the sharp pain in my bruised knees.
Mateo gently handed her to me, offering a quick, respectful nod before stepping back toward the door. I pulled my daughter tight against my chest, burying my face in her soft hair, smelling the sweet, familiar scent of baby shampoo and apple juice. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, completely unbothered by the opulent mansion around her.
"She didn't cry once, boss," Mateo reported quietly to Vincent. "The daycare teacher tried to raise a fuss, but I showed her the authorization form Miss Linwood signed when she started working here."
"Good job, Mateo," Vincent said without taking his eyes off us. "Tell Mrs. Bennett to prepare the primary guest suite on the third floor. Clean clothes, fresh food, and an extra bed for the little one."
I pulled back from Sophia, holding her close as I turned to Vincent. "You don't have to do this, Mr. Moretti. I can take Sophia back to our apartment. I just... I need my final paycheck for the week, and I'll stay out of your way—"
"Your apartment on 8th Street?" Vincent asked, raising an eyebrow. "The one with the broken window latch, no working heater, and two drug dealers living on the floor below you?"
I swallowed hard, feeling exposed. "It's all I can afford."
"Not anymore," Vincent said firmly, standing up from his chair. "Julian Vance knows you are alive now, Maya. Even if I keep him locked in my cellar, his associates will notice his absence within forty-eight hours. If his lieutenant, a man named Marcus Drake, finds out you're in Chicago, your apartment will be the first place they burn."
The cold reality of his words hit me like a physical blow. Julian’s lieutenant, Marcus Drake, was even worse than Julian—a cold-blooded enforcer who had helped Julian hunt me down when I first ran away.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked, my voice barely audible above the crackle of the fireplace. "I'm just a maid. You don't owe me anything."
Vincent walked over to where I stood holding Sophia. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating from him, smelling his cologne—a mix of dark cedar, tobacco, and expensive leather.
He reached out, his thick index finger gently stroking Sophia’s soft cheek. My daughter didn't pull away; instead, she giggled and grabbed his finger with her small, chubby hand.
A faint, rare smile touched the corner of Vincent’s lips before vanishing.
"Two years ago, your father’s company was used to launder money through my docks," Vincent said, looking up to meet my eyes. "If I had looked closer, if I had investigated Julian Vance back then, I would have found you in that basement. I would have saved you three years ago."
He pulled his hand back, his expression hardening into iron.
"I consider that a debt on my honor, Maya," Vincent said. "And a Moretti always settles his debts. You and your daughter stay here. You are under my protection. Anyone who tries to harm you will have to go through three hundred armed men to get to you."
That night, for the first time in two years, I slept in a bed with high-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets. The guest suite was massive, heated by a private fireplace, with fresh fruit, warm soup, and plush velvet armchairs.
Sophia fell asleep quickly, curled up beside me, her small hand resting on my waist.
I lay awake in the dark, staring at the high ceiling.
May you like
Down in the basement beneath this very house, the monster who had haunted my nightmares was tied to a chair. And standing outside my door was the most feared crime boss in Chicago, acting as my shield.
I didn't know if I was safe, or if I had simply traded one cage for another.
