Chapter 7 - The Blood and the Silk
By six o'clock in the morning, the rain had cleared, leaving a pale, amber sunrise breaking over the Chicago skyline.
Sadi had spent the entire night sitting on the settee in the master suite, refusing to sleep, her eyes fixed on the driveway below.
When the four black armored SUVs finally rolled through the front gates, she let out a long, shuddering breath she felt she had been holding for hours.
She stood up, ignoring the faint ache in her healing ribs, and walked down the grand marble staircase right as the heavy front doors swung open.
Dominic walked into the foyer.
He was covered in rain and faint grease, his jaw tight, his dark tactical coat dusted with soot.
He stopped at the base of the stairs, looking up at her.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then, Sadi ran down the remaining steps, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face into the warm space between his shoulder and collarbone.
Dominic let out a low, ragged breath, his heavy arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest, holding her so tightly she could feel the steady, thunderous beat of his heart against her cheek.
“You’re back,” she whispered into his neck.
“I told you I was coming back,” Dominic murmured, his face buried in her dark hair, his hands holding her as if she were the only real thing in a world made of dust and blood.
He pulled back slightly, looking into her face, his thumb gently tracing her jawline.
“Matteo is gone,” Dominic said quietly. “His crew is dismantled. Don Vincent has formally ceded the entire southern dock network to the Russo family as war reparations.”
Sadi looked into his gray eyes, seeing the exhaustion, the heavy burden of command, but also a deep, overwhelming relief that made him look completely human.
“It’s over?” she asked.
“It’s over,” Dominic confirmed. “You are safe, Sadi. Truly safe. You never have to look over your shoulder again.”
Sadi looked around the grand marble foyer, then back at the man holding her in his arms.
“I don't want to live in fear, Dominic,” she whispered softly. “And I don't want to live in a house where I’m just a debt you’re paying off.”
Dominic froze, his gray eyes darkening with a sudden, intense emotion.
“Is that what you think you are?” he asked softly. “A debt?”
“You married me to save my life,” Sadi said, her voice trembling slightly. “You gave me your name to pay a debt for your mother. But I don't want to be your obligation, Dominic.”
Dominic didn't answer with words.
Instead, he scooped her up into his arms once more, carrying her up the grand staircase into the master suite. He shut the door behind them, set her down gently on her feet beside the roaring fireplace, and framed her face with his large, warm hands.
“Listen to me, Sadi,” Dominic said, his voice dropping into a deep, intense vow that shook her to her core. “I married you to keep you breathing. That was the debt. But I fell in love with you the moment you looked at my captains and told them how to run my city.”
Sadi’s breath caught in her throat. Her green eyes widened in shock.
“Dominic...” she rasped.
“You are not my obligation,” Dominic whispered, leaning down until his lips were brushing against hers. “You are my wife. You are my home. And I will spend the rest of my life earning the four bullets you took for my family.”
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When his lips met hers, it was no longer a contractual promise or a rushed vow in an ICU room. It was deep, intoxicating, and filled with a fierce, burning passion that consumed every shadow lingering between them.
Sadi wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, surrendering completely to the man who had promised she would never be alone again.
