Chapter 8 - Before Sunrise
By five in the morning, the storm had finally cleared over Baltimore.
The sky over the Chesapeake Bay was turning a delicate shade of pale lavender and soft gold. The estate was quiet once again. The police and federal vehicles had come and gone through the rear gates, taking Carlo and his men away in heavy chains, leaving behind only the quiet rustle of wet autumn leaves in the gardens.
In the master study on the second floor, a warm fire crackled softly in the massive brick fireplace.
I sat on the dark leather sofa, wearing an oversized, unbelievably soft cashmere sweater that belonged to Dante, my wet clothes drying in the laundry room downstairs. Titan lay stretched out across the rug in front of the hearth, sleeping deeply, his bandaged shoulder rising and falling in steady, healthy rhythms.
Dante sat beside me. His left shoulder was neatly bandaged under a clean white dress shirt, his dark hair still slightly damp from the shower.
On the glass coffee table sat two glasses of aged scotch and a thick manila folder stamped with the gold seal of the Maryland State Veterinary Medical Board.
"What is that?" I asked softly, pointing to the folder.
Dante reached over, picked up the folder, and set it in my lap. "Open it."
I opened the clasp. Inside was an official letter signed by the president of the state board, completely exonerating me of all complaints filed by my former employer. Attached to it was my fully restored veterinary technician certification, along with an official deed of ownership for a brand-new, state-of-the-art animal surgical clinic in downtown Baltimore.
My breath hitched in my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read my name printed in bold black ink: Rosalyn Whitaker, Lead Veterinary Director.
"Julian—the owner of your old clinic—confessed two hours ago," Dante explained smoothly, taking a slow sip of his scotch. "He admitted to falsifying medical records and framing you because you wouldn't stay quiet about his negligence. He will no longer be practicing medicine in this state."
"Dante..." I whispered, my voice cracking with overwhelming emotion. "This... this costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. I can't accept this."
Dante set his glass down on the table. He turned toward me, reaching out to gently cup my face in his large, warm hands. His dark eyes searched mine with a fierce, profound tenderness that completely undid me.
"You saved my dog's life, Rosie," he said softly. "You uncovered a betrayal that would have destroyed my family. And you stood in the rain and saved my soul from becoming a monster."
"You aren't a monster, Dante," I whispered, leaning my cheek into his palm. "You're just a man who protects what's his."
A low, dark smile touched his lips—a real, genuine smile that transformed his intimidating face into something breathtakingly handsome.
"Yes," Dante murmured, his thumb gently tracing the curve of my lower lip. "And now, little bird... you are mine."
"Is that a command, Mr. Vescari?" I asked, my heart hammering a chaotic, beautiful rhythm against my ribs.
"It's a promise," Dante whispered, leaning down until his lips hovered a fraction of an inch from mine. "You can have your clinic. You can have your freedom. You can go anywhere in this world you want. But wherever you go, my guards will protect you, my money will back you, and my heart will belong to you."
Outside the tall stained-glass windows, the first gold rays of the sun broke over the horizon, painting the room in brilliant warm light.
May you like
I didn't pull away. I reached up, my fingers tangling into his thick dark hair, and pulled him down into a deep, slow, intoxicating kiss that tasted like whiskey, fire, and forever.
Beneath us, on the warm rug, Titan let out a long, contented sigh, opened one brown eye, gave his tail a single happy thump against the floor, and went back to sleep, knowing that the monster, the girl, and the beast had finally found home before sunrise.
