Chapter 26
The sirens wailed softly outside the Royal Ontario Museum as federal authorities hauled Julian Cross and his mercenaries into waiting armored transport vans. Inside the grand rotunda, the dust settled, leaving a profound, echoing silence in the wake of the chaos.
Ezra walked slowly across the marble floor, stopping just a few feet away from Nessa. She was standing calmly by her undisturbed Cremona cello, gently wiping a tiny speck of dust from its polished wood finish.
Ezra looked at her, his pale grey eyes shining with an overwhelming, almost reverent depth of emotion. He reached out, gently taking her hand and pulling her against his chest, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he breathed in the scent of her perfume mixed with the faint adrenaline of the fight.
"You realize," Ezra whispered, his voice trembling slightly with suppressed emotion, "that you completely ruined my attempt to look like a dignified corporate CEO tonight."
Nessa laughed softly, resting her hands against his shoulders, looking up into his eyes with a brilliant, radiant smile. "Dignity is overrated, Ezra. Besides, a criminal empire needs a little excitement every now and then to keep things interesting."
"That's it," Ezra said, a genuine, warm laugh rumbling out of his chest as he pulled her in tighter. "No more warehouses, no more syndicates, no more corporate espionage. From this day forward, our only battles will be deciding what restaurant to order takeout from."
May you like
"Deal," Nessa smiled, rising slightly on her tiptoes to meet his lips.
As the museum doors opened to let in the fresh, clean night air of downtown Toronto, the shadows of their violent past finally dissolved into nothingness. They walked out together hand in hand—the ruthless crime boss who had learned how to love, and the world-class cellist and Muay Thai champion who had taught him how to live. Their eternal duet played on, perfectly balanced, utterly undefeated, and wrapped in a happily ever after that would last a lifetime.
