Chapter 8 - The Clean Sweep
By four o'clock in the morning, the fire at Warehouse 7 was extinguished by private industrial crews before the city fire department could arrive.
The waterfront was quiet once more.
Moretti's syndicate in Boston had been completely broken in a single night. His remaining lieutenants had surrendered to Marco without firing another shot, and the Providence Commission had already sent an emergency wire acknowledging Gideon Vitali as the undisputed master of the Northeast shipping lanes.
In the back of the central armored SUV, I sat wrapped in a warm wool blanket, sipping hot coffee from a thermos. My clothes smelled of wood smoke, but I was unhurt.
The door opened, and Gideon climbed inside, setting his heavy coat on the seat beside him. He looked exhausted, his hair damp with rain and sweat, but his pale green eyes were calm and serene.
He sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me tight against his chest.
"Are you okay, Clara?" he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
"I'm fine," I said, resting my head against his shoulder, listening to the steady, comforting beat of his heart. "Is it over?"
"It's over," Gideon said softly. "Moretti's network is gone. The family is secure. No one will ever threaten this house again."
He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box.
I raised my head, looking at him in surprise. "Gideon? What is that?"
Gideon opened the box. Inside lay a breathtaking platinum ring set with an exquisite, emerald-cut green diamond that caught the warm interior light of the vehicle.
"This belonged to my grandmother," Gideon said softly, taking my right hand in his. "My father gave it to my mother on the day they took control of the estate. I have kept it in my safe for ten years, waiting for a woman who possessed the courage, the intelligence, and the heart to wear it."
He looked deep into my eyes, his voice trembling slightly with a deep, unshakeable sincerity.
"Clara Ellis," Gideon murmured, "you walked into my home with a broom and saved my life. I don't want you to be my attendant, or my chief of staff, or my strategist. I want you to be my wife. I want you to rule this house beside me."
Tears sprang to my eyes—tears of joy, relief, and overwhelming love for the man who had captured my heart amid the shadows of war.
"Yes, Gideon," I whispered, smiling through my tears. "Yes! I will marry you!"
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Gideon slipped the green diamond ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.
He leaned down and kissed me with a passion that made the rest of the world vanish, holding me as if he would never let me go.
