Chapter 9 - THE KEEPER'S PROMISE
Six months later.
The autumn wind whipped through the streets of Chicago, carrying the crisp scent of fallen leaves and impending rain.
Inside the newly renovated Miller & Co. Floral Designs, it was warm and bustling. The shop had doubled in size. The threatening foreclosure notices that once haunted Ivy’s mailbox had been replaced by stacks of wedding orders and high-end corporate event contracts.
Ivy stood behind the grand mahogany counter, expertly weaving sprigs of eucalyptus into a bridal bouquet. She hummed a soft, happy tune.
The bell chimed.
Lily bounded through the door, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders. She was missing a different tooth now, but her smile was wider than ever.
"Auntie Ivy! Look!" Lily shouted, waving a piece of paper.
Right behind her walked Dante.
He moved with an easy grace, the cane long gone, though he still carried a slight stiffness in his side when the weather turned cold. He wore a fitted charcoal sweater, his dark hair slightly ruffled by the wind. He looked relaxed. He looked happy.
"What did you draw, sweetie?" Ivy asked, coming around the counter to take the paper.
It was a drawing of a house. But not just any house. It was the massive, sprawling estate just outside the city limits that Dante had purchased for them three months ago. In the drawing, there were three stick figures: a small one with pigtails, a woman holding a flower, and a very tall man holding a black dog.
"It’s our family," Lily declared proudly. She looked up at Dante. "Dante said we can get a dog this weekend. A black one. Right, Dante?"
Dante leaned against the counter, crossing his arms, a fond smile playing on his lips. "Only if your Aunt Ivy agrees to not name it something ridiculous like Petunia."
"Petunia is a beautiful name for a Rottweiler," Ivy teased, kissing Lily’s forehead. "Go put your backpack upstairs in the loft, kiddo. I’ve got hot chocolate in the thermos."
Lily cheered and bolted up the spiral staircase.
Ivy watched her go, a profound sense of peace washing over her. Lily was safe. She was thriving. She finally had the stable, loving home that Ivy’s sister had wanted for her.
Dante walked over, wrapping his arms around Ivy’s waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of roses and vanilla that always clung to her skin.
"Elena called today," Dante murmured, his deep voice vibrating against her back.
"The lawyer?" Ivy asked, leaning back against his solid chest. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is perfect," Dante said. "The final asset seizures from Vincent’s shell companies went through. The Feds are officially closing the book on the Russo Syndicate. The name is clean. I’m clean."
Ivy turned in his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck. She looked up into the dark eyes that had once terrified her, but now only offered her absolute safety.
"No more ghosts?" she asked softly.
"No more ghosts," Dante promised. He reached up, his thumb gently tracing her jawline. "I bought the building next door today."
Ivy blinked in surprise. "The old bakery? Why?"
"Because you mentioned wanting to expand into event catering," Dante said casually, as if buying commercial real estate in downtown Chicago was the same as picking up milk. "And because the building came with a private rooftop garden. I thought it would be a nice place to host a wedding."
Ivy’s breath hitched. She stared at him, her heart skipping a beat. "A wedding?"
Dante reached into his pocket. He didn't pull out a gun, or a burner phone, or a mob signet ring.
He pulled out a simple, breathtakingly elegant diamond ring.
He didn't drop to one knee. He didn't need to. He just held it between them, his eyes locked onto hers with a fierce, unwavering devotion.
"Six months ago, you walked into a velvet coffin and broke a rose to save a monster," Dante said, his voice thick with emotion. "I spent my whole life destroying things, Ivy. I want to spend the rest of it building something with you. Build it with me."
Ivy looked at the ring, then up at the man who had burned his own kingdom to the ground just to keep her safe.
Tears pricked her eyes, but a radiant smile broke across her face.
"On one condition," Ivy whispered, leaning up so her lips were barely brushing his.
"Anything," Dante breathed.
"No white roses at the altar," she said. "I’ve had enough of those for one lifetime."
Dante laughed, a rich, genuine sound that filled the shop. He slid the ring onto her finger, the diamond catching the afternoon light perfectly.
May you like
"Only red," he promised, pulling her in for a kiss. "Only red."
Upstairs, Lily’s laughter echoed through the loft. The ghosts of Chicago’s underworld were finally buried, replaced by the roots of a family that nothing could ever break.
