Chapter 8 - The Shadows Return
The wedding was set for a crisp Saturday in late November at a private coastal estate overlooking Lake Michigan.
There were no media crews, no high-society socialites trying to curry favor, and no criminal syndicates. Just a handful of close security personnel, Dr. Harris, Tyler—who was now working a legitimate accounting job at Ross Global—and Mrs. Gable beaming proudly from the front row.
Ella wore a classic, elegant ivory lace gown that swept gracefully across the manicured lawn, her blond hair pinned up with delicate pearl clips.
As she walked down the stone aisle on her brother’s arm, she looked at Gabriel waiting for her at the altar. He wore a tailored black tuxedo, his shoulders broad, his gray eyes shining with an unmistakable, overwhelming depth of love.
When Tyler placed her hand in Gabriel’s, the billionaire mafia boss closed his fingers around hers, pressing a soft, reverent kiss to her knuckles.
“You look breathtaking,” Gabriel murmured.
“You clean up pretty well for an international crime lord,” Ella teased softly, a bright, genuine smile lighting up her face.
The ceremony was short, intimate, and absolute. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Gabriel pulled her into his arms, kissing her with a fierce, possessive passion that made the small crowd applaud.
Later that evening, during the reception inside the candlelit stone ballroom, Ella slipped away for a brief moment of quiet air, stepping out onto the stone terrace overlooking the dark, rolling waves of the lake.
The autumn wind whipped her veil slightly, carrying the crisp scent of pine and water.
Behind her, the heavy glass door slid open.
Gabriel stepped out, wrapping his warm tuxedo jacket around her shoulders without a word, standing close behind her with his arms resting protectively around her waist.
“Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Ross,” he whispered against her neck.
Ella leaned back against his solid chest, closing her eyes with a contented sigh.
“I was just thinking about that night,” she murmured. “The rain, the blood on your floor, thinking I was going to die in that hallway.”
Gabriel’s arms tightened instantly around her, pulling her flush against him.
“Don't ever talk about that night,” he growled softly, though there was no real anger in it—only a deep, lingering protectiveness.
May you like
“I’m not afraid anymore, Gabriel,” Ella turned in his embrace, looking up into his eyes with absolute certainty. “Because I know that even if the whole world comes crashing down around us, you’ll always catch me before I hit the floor.”
Gabriel’s mouth curved into a slow, devastating smile. He leaned down and kissed her lips, deep and slow, sealing the promise in the quiet night air.
