Chapter 9 - The Clearing Storm
Silence settled over the East Wing suite once more, but this time, it was a silence born of absolute victory.
Dominic let out a long, shuddering breath, running a hand through his slicked-back black hair. He turned around, walking swiftly to the hospital bed where Leo was crying softly. Dominic scooped his son into his arms, burying his face in the boy's dark curls.
"I've got you, buddy. Daddy's right here. Nobody is ever taking us apart," Dominic murmured, his voice thick with unshed tears.
I stood near the fireplace, my knees suddenly feeling weak. The adrenaline rush that had kept me upright through Arthur Vance's intimidation tactics suddenly vanished, leaving behind a profound, hollow exhaustion. I sank slowly into the velvet armchair, resting my forehead in my hands.
A moment later, I felt a warm, heavy hand rest gently on my shoulder.
I looked up. Dominic was standing beside me, having handed a sleepy, calmed-down Leo back over to Mason for a quick check-up.
"You stood up to a federal prosecutor," Dominic noted, a deep, genuine smile breaking across his face. "You didn't blink."
"I was terrified," I admitted, my voice trembling slightly. "I thought they were going to drag me downtown in handcuffs."
"You were braver than half my board of directors," Dominic said softly, pulling up a chair and sitting directly in front of me. He reached out, gently taking my hands in his. His palms were warm, steady, and grounding. "Willa... what you've done for my family over the last twenty-four hours... words cannot express it. You saved my son's life. You stood by my side when the federal government tried to tear my empire down."
"I couldn't just walk away," I whispered, looking down at our joined hands.
"I don't want you to walk away," Dominic said, his voice dropping into a rich, resonant baritone that sent a thrill straight through my heart. "I spent the last ten years believing that everyone in my world had a price, that loyalty was just another commodity to be bought and sold. And then a twenty-three-year-old waitress walked into a freezing alley behind a greasy diner and proved me completely wrong."
He tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to look into his intense gray eyes.
"Stay with us, Willa," Dominic whispered. "Not as an employee. Not as a guest. Stay as my partner. Stay as Leo's mother."
May you like
My breath caught in my throat. The words hung in the air, glowing with the promise of a future I never could have dreamed of while scrubbing grease off diner tables.
"Yes," I whispered, a tear slipping down my cheek and catching on my smile. "Yes, Dominic. I'll stay."
