Chapter 5 - The Reckoning
Gunfire echoed through the lower level of the estate, but it was shifting. The sounds were moving from the courtyard into the grand foyer.
Claire crept down the secondary servants' staircase, keeping her back flush against the wall. Through the wrought-iron banister, she saw the main foyer transformed into a battleground.
Standing in the center of the foyer, soaking wet from the rain and wielding an assault rifle with deadly precision, was Dominic Romano.
He had returned. And he was an absolute force of nature.
Beside him, Marco and a dozen heavily armed Romano loyalists were methodically clearing the room, driving the Moretti mercenaries back toward the front doors.
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind the grand marble pillar near the dining room—Julian Whitmore. He held a handgun aimed directly at Dominic’s back while Dominic was focused on two attackers near the entrance.
"Dominic!" Claire screamed from the top of the stairs.
Julian spun around toward the sound of her voice, raising his gun at Claire instead.
BANG!
A shot echoed through the foyer.
Julian’s eyes went wide. He dropped his weapon, clutching his shoulder as he collapsed onto the marble floor.
Claire lowered her gun, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She had fired from thirty feet away, striking Julian before he could pull the trigger.
Dominic whipped around, seeing Julian on the floor, and then looked up at the staircase. His eyes widened in absolute astonishment as he saw Claire standing there, holding a smoking handgun, her nurse's uniform smudged with soot and chemical powder.
Within minutes, the remaining attackers were subdued or eliminated. The silence that fell over the estate was absolute.
Dominic charged up the stairs three at a time, grabbing Claire by the shoulders and pulling her violently into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, breathing her in as if he had just emerged from underwater.
"Are you hurt? Is Lily okay?" he demanded, his voice thick with uncharacteristic emotion.
"Lily is safe in the panic room," Claire breathed, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into his solid, comforting warmth. "She doesn't have a scratch on her."
Dominic pulled back slightly, staring at her with fierce intensity. "You shot Julian. You fought off armed men."
"They tried to take her, Dominic," Claire said simply, her voice steadying. "I couldn't let them."
Dominic looked at this incredible woman—a woman who had saved his daughter twice, who had stood up to mobsters, doctors, and mercenaries without hesitation.
Without saying another word, Dominic leaned down and captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss.
Claire melted into the kiss, her hands winding up into his hair, pouring months of unspoken longing and hidden devotion into the moment. When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, his dark eyes shining with an emotion stronger than power or wealth.
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"I love you, Claire Bennett," Dominic whispered softly against her skin. "I think I fell in love with you the second you grabbed that cake out of my hands."
Claire laughed through tears of joy. "I love you too, Dominic."
