Chapter 10 - OUT OF THE INFERNO
The cleanup took weeks. The Russian syndicate was entirely eradicated, their leaders dead or in federal custody. The estate was rebuilt, stronger and more heavily fortified than before. Through it all, I stepped out of the shadows. I took over the administration of Vincent’s legitimate philanthropic fronts, using his vast resources to open a state-of-the-art burn clinic in downtown Chicago.
I no longer hid my scars. When I walked into boardrooms or charity galas on Vincent’s arm, people still stared, but they didn't see a victim anymore. They saw the Queen of Chicago’s darkest empire.
One evening, I stood on the balcony of the restored penthouse, watching the city lights glitter against the dark waters of Lake Michigan. The cold autumn wind whipped my hair around my face. I heard the soft slide of the glass door opening, and then Vincent’s arms were wrapping around me from behind, his chin resting near my scarred neck.
“The clinic grand opening is tomorrow,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Are you ready?”
“I am,” I said, leaning back into his solid chest. “I received a letter today. From Trevor.”
Vincent went completely still. The air around us turned dangerously cold. “Did you?”
“He’s in a halfway house in Ohio. Begging for money. Apologizing.” I turned around in Vincent’s arms, smiling softly as I reached up to smooth the lapels of his suit. “I burned it.”
The tension bled out of Vincent’s frame. A slow, genuine smile spread across his face, transforming him from a ruthless kingpin into a man deeply, irreversibly in love.
“You are terrifying, Harper Calder,” he whispered.
May you like
My heart skipped a beat. Calder. We hadn’t talked about marriage, but the word felt entirely right.
“I learned from the best,” I replied.
