Chapter 8 - The Aftermath in the Snow
By 11:00 p.m., the Drake Hotel ballroom had been cleared by federal authorities.
Vanessa Crowe’s empire was effectively dead, her lieutenants arrested, her offshore accounts frozen, and her syndicate dismantled in a single night.
Outside, the snow was falling heavily over Michigan Avenue, covering the city in a clean, quiet blanket of white.
Adrian’s Bentley stood idling near the hotel entrance, surrounded by four escort SUVs.
Claire walked out onto the carpeted steps, the cold night air rushing over her bare shoulders, making her shiver slightly.
Before the cold could touch her, Adrian doused her in his heavy charcoal overcoat, wrapping the warm fabric around her velvet gown, his large hands pulling the lapels tight around her neck.
"Are you cold?" he asked softly, looking down at her face in the yellow glow of the streetlights.
"No," Claire whispered, looking up at him. "I'm perfect."
Adrian looked at her—at her berry-smudged lips, her messy dark waves, her radiant hazel eyes glowing with triumph.
"You were magnificent tonight, Claire," he murmured, his hand coming up to gently brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "The entire city saw what you are capable of."
Claire reached up, touching his lapel. "And what am I capable of, Mr. Vale?"
"Ruling Chicago," Adrian replied without a moment's hesitation.
A quiet, beautiful laugh escaped Claire’s lips, her breath forming a soft white cloud in the freezing air. "I'm an auditor, Adrian. I don't know how to rule a city."
"You don't need to know how to rule it alone," Adrian said, stepping closer, his body blocking the bitter lake wind. "You do it with me."
Claire stared at him, her pulse accelerating. "You were serious... about what you said in the ballroom?"
Adrian’s pale grey eyes locked onto hers with absolute, unyielding sincerity.
"I have never been more serious about anything in my life," Adrian murmured, his hands wrapping around her waist through the heavy coat, pulling her flush against his chest. "I told them you were sleeping beside me tonight, Claire. And I don't make promises to this city that I don't intend to keep."
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Claire felt a thrill of pure passion course through her veins. She reached up, framing his strong jaw in her small hands, looking deep into those grey eyes that had once terrified an entire metropolis.
"Take me home, Adrian," she whispered.
