Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary Behind Iron Gates
Anna stared at Dante’s outstretched hand as if it were a loaded weapon. Her mind was racing through every headline she had ever skimmed on city news racks: Mob Enforcer Acquitted, Underworld Tycoon Takes Over Waterfront, The Untouchable Moretti Empire. He was supposed to be a monster in an expensive Italian suit.
Yet, here he was, offering her a hand out of the wreckage of her living room while his terrifying attack dog sat politely allowing her daughter to braid its fur.
""I can't go anywhere with you,"" Anna whispered, her voice cracking with raw fatigue. ""If Viktor Vance finds out you interfered, he won't just come after me. He'll—""
""Viktor Vance is a rat living under rotted floorboards,"" Dante said, his voice entirely devoid of doubt. ""He doesn't dictate what happens under my sky. You have two choices, Anna. You can stay here and wait for the second cleanup crew Vance sends when those two don't report in. Or you can pack Sophie’s warm clothes and come behind walls that an army couldn't breach.""
Anna looked at Sophie. The little girl had both arms wrapped around Bruno’s neck now, resting her cheek against the dog's scarred shoulder. She had only one shoe on. The matching pink sneaker was sitting on Dante's mantel across town.
Defeated by her own exhaustion, Anna reached up and placed her small, calloused hand into Dante's palm. His grip was warm, solid, and immovable. He pulled her up in one effortless motion, steadying her as her knees buckled slightly.
""Twenty minutes,"" Dante told her. ""Pack essentials. Rico will carry the luggage.""
Twenty minutes later, a single duffel bag was tossed into the trunk of the Escalade. Anna held Sophie in her lap in the plush leather interior, her eyes darting nervously between Dante’s stoic profile and the passing streets of Boston. They drove through the historic district, winding up the hill toward the private enclave overlooking the bay.
When the massive wrought-iron gates swung open to admit the SUV, Sophie gasped against the window.
""Mommy! It’s the castle from this morning!""
""It’s not a castle, sweetheart,"" Anna murmured, intimidated by the towering stone manor, the manicured boxwood hedges, and the guards positioned every fifty yards along the perimeter.
""Close enough,"" Dante muttered under his breath.
The grand front doors opened, and Mrs. Gable, Dante's elderly housekeeper, hurried down the marble steps with a warm woolen blanket. She had served the Moretti family for thirty years and didn't bat an eye at the presence of a terrified young mother and a toddler, though her eyes softened immediately at the sight of Sophie.
""Take them to the east wing guest suite,"" Dante instructed Mrs. Gable as they stepped into the heated grandeur of the foyer. ""Draw a hot bath. Have chef prepare some chicken broth and whatever a five-year-old eats.""
""Pancakes,"" Sophie announced firmly, pointing a finger in the air. ""With chocolate chips. Even though it's lunch.""
The corners of Dante’s lips twitched again. ""Make it chocolate chip pancakes, Mrs. Gable.""
""Right away, sir.""
Anna stood frozen in the middle of the breathtaking entrance hall, clutching her duffel bag like a shield. ""Why are you doing this, Mr. Moretti? Men like you don't do charity. What do you want from me?""
Dante turned to her, his gaze sharp enough to dissect a soul. ""I want to know how an organic peroxide explosive ended up inside the stitching of your daughter's sneaker. And I want to know why a woman with an advanced degree in chemical engineering is working third shift as a warehouse packer for a ghost company.""
Anna went completely white, backing up until her heels hit the bottom of the grand staircase.
""I have your background check on my desk, Anna,"" Dante continued quietly. ""You didn't drop out of MIT because you failed. You dropped out three years ago when your fiancé died in a hit-and-run, leaving you pregnant, buried in debt, and blacklisted from every legitimate commercial lab in New England.""
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Anna swallowed hard, a tear spilling over her lashes. ""You don't understand what they did to me. They didn't give me a choice.""
""Then give yourself one now,"" Dante said softly. ""Go upstairs. Get your daughter fed and rested. When she’s asleep, come down to my study. And tell me the truth.""
