Chapter 5 - The Reckoning at Dawn
The gray light of dawn was just beginning to streak across the eastern sky when the secure comms console in Dominic’s private study chimed softly.
Dominic, who had spent the night reviewing security logs and legal briefs at his desk while Norah slept down the hall, tapped the receiver.
"Report," Dominic commanded.
"Target has been secured, Mr. Reyes," Marco’s voice crackled through the speaker. "Federal agents intercepted Arthur Reyes attempting to board a private charter flight out of Hanscom Field at 4:00 AM. His assets are frozen, and the board has unanimously voted to strip him of all voting shares in Reyes Holdings."
"Good," Dominic said evenly. "Ensure all evidence regarding the forged correspondence and the threats against the Callaway family is handed directly to the federal prosecutor handling the indictment. I want no loose ends."
"Understood, boss. And... Mr. Reyes?"
"Speak, Marco."
"Miss Callaway is awake. She's downstairs in the kitchen."
Dominic clicked off the console, stood up, and straightened his suit jacket. The war was over. The shadow that had hung over his family and threatened his child had been permanently neutralized. Now came the part he actually feared: facing the woman who held his heart in her hands.
When Dominic entered the expansive, sunlit kitchen, Norah was standing by the marble island pouring coffee into two mugs. She wore a soft gray sweater and sweatpants, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She looked less like the stern senior nurse of Mercy Community Hospital and more like the young woman he had loved before the world intervened.
She slid one of the mugs across the counter toward him without looking up.
"Marco called?" she asked.
"Arthur is in federal custody," Dominic said, taking the mug and leaning against the counter. "His assets are seized. He won't be bothering you—or anyone else—ever again."
Norah took a slow sip of her coffee, her gaze drifting out the large kitchen window toward the crashing waves of the Atlantic. The tension that had defined her posture for days seemed to finally melt away.
"It's quiet here," she murmured.
"Too quiet sometimes," Dominic replied, watching her closely. "What do you want to do, Norah? Do you want to go back to your apartment? Do you want to return to the hospital?"
Norah turned her head, meeting his eyes with a steady, searching gaze. "My life is at the hospital, Dominic. My friends are there, my work is there, and I like being a nurse who earns her own living."
Dominic nodded slowly, accepting her terms without hesitation. "Then we keep your apartment. I'll upgrade the security, but it remains yours. You work your shifts, and I'll make sure my schedule accommodates whatever you and Lily need."
"And us?" Norah asked, her voice barely a whisper above the hum of the refrigerator.
Dominic pushed off the counter, closing the distance between them until he stood right in front of her. He reached out, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his touch reverent and achingly tender.
"There is no 'us' and 'them' anymore, Norah," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "There is only us. If you'll have me."
Norah closed her eyes for a fraction of a second, remembering the little girl in the hospital corridor who had looked up at the most feared man in Boston and said, You have my eyes.
When Norah opened her eyes, she didn't pull away. Instead, a soft, genuine smile touched the corners of her lips.
"Lily was right, you know," Norah whispered.
Dominic frowned, confused. "About what?"
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"You really do need to smile more. You look entirely too intimidating when you're trying to be romantic."
Dominic let out a low, genuine laugh—the first real laugh he had shared in five years—and pulled her into his arms, holding her as if he would never let go.
