Chapter 8 - THE SHIELD AND THE SHADOW
Sage didn't have time to move. The blade flashed in the dim light, aimed straight for her stomach.
She braced for the impact, throwing her arms up.
But the impact never hit her.
Dominic stepped directly in front of her, absorbing the force of Tyler’s lunge. The switchblade buried itself deep into the side of Dominic’s heavy wool coat, sliding right below his ribs.
A low grunt escaped Dominic’s lips.
Sage screamed.
Before Tyler could pull the knife free to strike again, Dominic’s massive hand clamped shut around Tyler’s throat. He didn't use his gun. He simply lifted the other man off the floor with one arm, the sheer, terrifying strength of the Rossi bloodline fully unleashed.
Tyler gasped for air, his eyes bulging as his feet dangled inches from the concrete.
Dominic’s face was devoid of emotion. He stared into Tyler’s panicked eyes.
“You don’t ever touch her again,” Dominic whispered, his voice dark and final.
He threw Tyler violently to the side. Tyler crashed into a stack of steel barrels and crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
The warehouse doors burst open. Dozens of heavily armed, uniformed police officers flooded the room, their weapons drawn.
“Chicago PD! Nobody move!” a lieutenant shouted.
Cain and Dominic’s men calmly placed their weapons on the floor, raising their hands. They had done this a hundred times.
Sage fell to her knees beside Dominic. He was clutching his side, his breath coming a little shorter now. Dark blood seeped through the thick gray wool of his sweater.
“Dominic,” Sage sobbed, pressing her hands frantically over his to stop the bleeding. “You stepped in front of it. Why did you do that?”
Dominic looked down at her, a faint, exhausted smile touching the corners of his mouth. He reached up with his free hand and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“I told you,” he murmured, his eyes holding hers entirely. “You’re not falling by accident anymore.”
Paramedics swarmed them seconds later. They pushed Sage back, laying Dominic flat on a stretcher and tearing his shirt open to apply a pressure dressing.
Sage stood frozen, watching as they loaded the most dangerous man in Chicago into the back of an ambulance.
A police detective approached her, holding a notebook. “Miss Williams? I need a statement. We have Tyler Vance and Captain Harrison in custody. It looks like you caught yourself a couple of major felons today.”
Sage looked at the detective, then at the unconscious Tyler being handcuffed and dragged out like a sack of garbage. The fear that had ruled her life for three months was entirely gone. It evaporated into the cold morning air, leaving behind a fierce, unshakeable strength.
“I didn't catch them,” Sage said, her voice clear and strong. “I just survived them.”
Three hours later, Sage sat in the sterile waiting room of Chicago Memorial Hospital. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving her exhausted and bruised. She was still wearing Dominic’s oversized coat, refusing to take it off.
Cain stood by the door like a silent gargoyle. He hadn't spoken a word since the warehouse, but he hadn't let anyone get near Sage, either.
Finally, a surgeon in green scrubs walked through the double doors.
Sage stood up immediately.
“He’s awake,” the surgeon said, looking directly at Sage. “The blade missed his major organs. Hit a rib and deflected. He’s tough as a vault door. He asked for you.”
Sage didn't wait. She pushed past the doctor and hurried down the hallway toward the VIP recovery wing.
She stopped outside his room, suddenly nervous. She had spent the last twenty-four hours in a whirlwind of bullets, mafia secrets, and kidnapping. She was a pastry chef who had accidentally landed in the lap of a mob boss. What was she supposed to say to him now?
She pushed the door open.
Dominic was sitting up in the hospital bed. He looked pale, but the sharp, commanding aura around him was undiminished. He wasn't wearing a suit, just a hospital gown, but he still looked like he owned the building.
He saw her standing in the doorway and his expression softened instantly.
“Come here,” he said quietly.
Sage walked over to the edge of the bed. She looked at the bandages wrapped around his torso.
“You shouldn't be sitting up,” she scolded softly, tears pricking her eyes again.
“I’ve had worse from my sister when I ruined her Barbie dolls,” Dominic said dryly.
He reached out and took her hand. His thumb gently traced her knuckles.
“Tyler is going to federal prison for the rest of his life,” Dominic told her. “My lawyers are handing over the money laundering evidence as we speak. Harrison is taking a plea deal to roll on the other dirty cops. It’s over, Sage. You’re free.”
Sage looked at his hand holding hers. It felt incredibly right.
“And what about you?” she asked, looking up into his gray eyes. “Are you going to keep running the syndicate?”
Dominic leaned back against the pillows. He reached his free hand over to the bedside table, picking up a small, familiar object.
He held out the tarnished silver charm bracelet with the rolling pin.
“I made a promise to my sister,” Dominic said softly. “And I made a promise to you. I’m stepping down. Cain is taking over the enforcement side. I’m going to run the legitimate assets. The real estate. The restaurants.” He paused, a small smirk playing on his lips. “I might even buy a bakery.”
He gently took her wrist and clasped the silver bracelet back onto it.
“You don't have to run anymore, Sage,” Dominic whispered, pulling her hand up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Unless you want to.”
Sage looked at the man who had risked everything to save a woman he met by accident. She smiled, finally feeling the warmth return to her heart.
May you like
“I’m done running,” Sage said. She leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek. “But I might need you to buy me a new pair of shoes.”
“I’m done running,” Sage said. She leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek. “But I might need you to buy me a new pair of shoes.”
