Chapter 4 - The Fortress on the Hill
The Colazo estate sat high above the rocky coast of Chestnut Hill, surrounded by fifteen-foot wrought-iron gates, dense pine woods, and a security network that rivaled a military base.
The Maybach rolled smoothly through the gates at midnight, its headlights cutting through the thick rain. Inside the vehicle, Finn stared out the tinted window with wide, dark eyes, watching the stone pillars and armed guards flash past. He had never seen a house like this—a massive, grey-stone manor that looked like a castle from one of his bedtime storybooks.
Mrs. Gable sat beside him, clutching her purse nervously in her lap. She knew exactly what kind of man owned this castle, but every time she looked at Rafe sitting quietly in the front passenger seat, she saw only an overwhelming, quiet focus centered entirely on the small waitress who was currently sleeping inside his medical wing.
The car stopped beneath the porte-cochère.
Two nurses in crisp scrubs were waiting at the entrance alongside Dr. Vance. As Rafe stepped out of the car, he turned and reached into the back seat, easily lifting Finn into his arms. The boy was shockingly light, his small frame trembling slightly against Rafe’s wool coat.
"How is she?" Rafe asked Vance as they walked down the grand marble hallway.
"She’s awake, Rafe," Vance replied, stepping briskly beside them. "We gave her a local nerve block for the scapula fracture and an IV drip for severe exhaustion and dehydration. She refused the strong sedatives."
Rafe frowned. "Why?"
"She kept saying she had to wake up at six to make breakfast for her son," Vance said, his voice softening slightly. "She wouldn't lie still until I swore on my medical license that her boy was safe."
Rafe carried Finn down a private glass corridor that led to the estate’s west wing. They stopped outside a heavy mahogany door. Rafe pushed it open quietly.
The room inside looked more like a luxury hotel suite than a hospital room, except for the gleaming heart monitors and IV stands positioned near the broad King-sized bed. Soft, warm lamps lit the room. Sitting on the edge of a velvet armchair near the bed was Sienna, her eyes red from crying, holding a cup of hot tea she hadn't touched.
Lying in the center of the bed, wrapped in white linen sheets, was Mave.
Her face was deathly pale, her dark hair spread across the soft pillows. Her right shoulder was bound tightly in a medical sling, immobilizing her upper arm. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow and measured, but the moment the door creaked open, her head snapped toward the sound.
"Finn?" she gasped, her voice barely a rough whisper.
"Mom!" Finn squirmed out of Rafe’s arms, his small feet hitting the hardwood floor. He ran across the room, stopping abruptly at the edge of the mattress, terrified that touching her might cause her pain.
Mave reached out her left arm—her good arm—and pulled her son against her chest, burying her face in his soft hair. Tears leaked silently from her eyes, soaking into his pajamas.
"Oh, baby... oh, Finn... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I missed nine o'clock..." she sobbed, kissing his forehead over and over again. "Are you okay? Did you eat dinner?"
"I'm okay, Mom," Finn murmured, resting his face against her neck, holding his bear tight. "The big man with the car brought me here. He had your picture."
Mave’s dark hazel eyes shifted over her son’s shoulder, locking onto Rafe, who was standing quietly in the doorway.
For the first time, she looked directly into the face of the man who ruled the city. She didn't see the feared Don or the shadow behind the headlines. She saw a man standing in a blood-stained shirt, holding her son’s coat, staring at her with an intensity that made her breath catch in her throat.
"Mr. Colazo," Mave said, her voice hoarse, trembling with confusion. "Why... why am I here? Why is my son here?"
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Rafe stepped into the room, his heavy boots making no sound against the thick Persian rug. He stopped beside her bed, looking down at her scraped knuckles and the stark white bandages binding her shoulder.
"You saved my sister’s life tonight, Miss Donovan," Rafe said softly, his deep voice filling the quiet suite. "And in my family, a debt like that is never forgotten. You are under my protection now. Both of you."
