Chapter 7 - A Brighter Horizon
Two years later.
The sun set over Lake Michigan, painting the sky in brilliant strokes of gold and violet. The sprawling backyard of the suburban home in Evanston was perfectly manicured, a sharp contrast to the grit and concrete of Cormack’s old life.
Cormack stood by the barbecue grill, wearing a plain gray t-shirt and jeans, flipping burgers. He looked relaxed. The dark circles under his eyes had vanished, replaced by laugh lines. He ran a successful, fully legal commercial real estate firm now. The underworld was a ghost of a past life, dead and buried.
A squeal of absolute delight broke the quiet evening air.
Two-year-old Leo, a miniature version of his father with his mother's bright eyes, came tearing across the grass on unsteady toddler legs, chasing a golden retriever puppy.
“Slow down, monster!” Cormack laughed, scooping the boy up into his arms and blowing a raspberry on his cheek, sending Leo into a fit of giggles.
The back door slid open, and Brin stepped out onto the patio. She looked radiant, healthy, and deeply at peace. The heart condition had been a terrifying battle, but with the best doctors in the world, rest, and time, she had fully recovered.
She walked over to Cormack and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head, pulling her close.
“Burgers are almost done,” he murmured against her hair.
“Good, because your son is eating me out of house and home,” she teased, smiling up at him. She reached up and gently traced his jawline. “You look happy, Mr. Hale.”
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“I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, Mrs. Hale,” he replied softly.
He looked at his wife, at the beautiful boy in his arms, and at the quiet, safe life they had built together. The mafia boss had walked into a hospital and lost his entire empire. But standing here in the fading light, holding his entire world in his arms, Cormack knew he was the richest man on earth.
