Chapter 10 - The New Family
Six months had passed since the violent night at the Brooklyn docks.
The New York syndicate had completely fallen in line, terrified of the man who had destroyed the entire Russian faction in a single evening.
But inside the heavily guarded walls of the Moretti estate, peace had finally found a permanent home.
The cold, marble fortress was now filled with colorful toys, bright paintings, and the beautiful sound of a child’s laughter.
I stood on the back patio, wearing a simple white sundress, watching Leo run across the grass with his new golden retriever puppy.
He had not had a single night terror since the day Ricardo brought me back home.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me firmly against a warm, solid chest.
Ricardo rested his chin on my shoulder, wrapping his hands affectionately over mine.
"You are thinking entirely too loudly, Mrs. Moretti," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my neck.
I smiled, glancing down at the heavy diamond ring sparkling on my left hand.
"I was just thinking about how terrifying you were when I first met you," I teased him gently.
"I am still terrifying, Clara. You are just the only one who is completely immune to it," he chuckled, turning me around in his arms.
He looked down at me, the dark shadows of his past completely gone from his eyes.
"You saved my son, and then you saved me," Ricardo told me, his voice filled with absolute devotion.
"We saved each other, Ricardo," I corrected him, reaching up to run my fingers through his dark hair.
Leo suddenly ran up to us, his face covered in dirt, completely out of breath from chasing the puppy.
"Mom! Dad! Watch how fast I can run!" Leo yelled excitedly, completely unbothered by the world around him.
Ricardo and I looked at each other, sharing a silent, beautiful moment of perfect understanding.
I was no longer just the waitress who calmed down a crying child in an expensive restaurant.
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I was Clara Moretti, the queen of a dangerous empire, and the mother of a beautiful little boy.
And as I watched my family laughing in the sunshine, I finally knew exactly where I belonged.
