Chapter 10 - The Sanctuary
Roman Costa burst through the doorway like a demon unleashed from hell.
Driven by blind panic when the security feed cut out, he had driven his vehicle through three miles of frozen roads at ninety miles an hour.
He caught the second intruder by the throat, slamming him violently against the stone wall, disarming him in a single fluid motion before dropping him unconscious to the floor.
The first intruder tried to rise from the floor, but Roman kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him sliding across the carpet, completely out cold.
The bedroom went dead silent, save for the sound of Roman’s heavy, ragged breathing.
He turned toward the center of the room, his gun lowered, his eyes searching frantically through the darkness until the beam of his flashlight hit Rebecca.
She was standing there in her cotton pajamas, hair wild, holding the bent brass candlestick, breathing heavily, completely unhurt.
Roman dropped his weapon onto the bed, stepped across the broken wood, and pulled Rebecca violently into his arms.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his arms wrapping around her waist like bands of iron, shaking with a terrifying, raw emotion she had never felt in him before.
“You’re safe,” Roman gasped, his voice broken, his heart hammering wildly against her chest. “God, Rebecca... you’re safe...”
Rebecca froze for a second, overwhelmed by the intensity of his grip, before her hands rose to touch his back, feeling the rain and ice lingering on his coat. “I’m fine, Roman. I’m fine. Clara is in the closet—she’s safe.”
Roman pulled back slightly, his hands framing her face, his thumbs gently wiping a smudge of soot from her cheek. He stared into her green eyes with an intensity that burned brighter than any flame.
“You fought them,” Roman whispered, marveling at her. “You stayed and you fought for my family.”
“I told you,” Rebecca whispered back, a faint smile touching her lips despite the fear lingering in her veins. “I don't leave people behind.”
Roman leaned down and pressed his lips to hers—a fierce, protective, deeply tender kiss that tasted of rain, cold air, and absolute devotion. Rebecca melted against him, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as she kissed him back, letting go of the fear, the isolation, and the pain of her past.
Behind them, the closet door opened slowly.
Clara stepped out into the dark room, tapping her white cane against the wooden floorboards, a knowing, triumphant smile resting on her face.
“Did you get him, my dear?” Clara asked softly into the quiet room.
Roman broke the kiss, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around Rebecca’s waist, pulling her close against his side as he turned toward his mother.
May you like
“Yes, Mother,” Roman said, his voice filled with a warmth and peace that had been missing from his life for a decade. “She got him. She got all of us.”
The winter storm raged outside the windows, but inside the broken room, illuminated by the warm flashlight beams, the Costa family was finally, completely home.
