Chapter 2 - The Contract In Blood
Before I could say another word, two hulking men in matching charcoal suits flanked me, hoisting me upright with firm, emotionless grips. They didn't drag me roughly, but there was no question that I was entirely their captive.
""Take her to the town car downstairs,"" Dante ordered, picking up his son with surprising tenderness. Little Leo didn't thrash this time; he buried his wet face against his father's broad shoulder, his small hands clutching Dante's silk lapel. ""Have Marco run every record on Sophie Vance. Every landlord, every bank statement, every breath she’s taken for the past ten years.""
Ten minutes later, I found myself sitting in the leather backseat of an armored Mercedes Maybach. Rain began to patter against the tinted windows, blurring the neon lights of Manhattan. I rubbed my hands together, trying to stop the nervous tremors. My modest uniform was filthy, my badge was crooked, and I was holding a torn apron in my lap. I half-expected to be taken to an abandoned warehouse in Queens and dumped into the East River.
Instead, the door opened, and Dante slid into the passenger side across from me, while Leo slept soundly in the adjoining rear cabin with a private physician. Dante tossed a thick manila folder onto the small table between us.
""Sophie Vance, twenty-four,"" Dante read aloud, his eyes scanning a sheet of paper with terrifying speed. ""Grew up in South Boston. Father was an abusive alcoholic who skipped town when you were sixteen. You worked three minimum-wage jobs to pay for your younger brother Daniel’s specialized care. He passed away three years ago from complications of acute respiratory distress and severe autism.""
The casual recitation of my deepest grief made my throat tighten with fury. ""Did your private detectives enjoy digging through my tragedy?""
Dante closed the folder with a sharp snap. ""I don't care about tragedy, Miss Vance. I care about results. Leo hasn't slept through the night in six months since his mother walked away. He hasn't looked another human being in the eye for over a year. But tonight, he let you touch his frequency.""
""He was overstimulated,"" I said, trying to steady my racing pulse. ""Autistic children don't process chaotic environments the way we do. That room was torture for him. You brought him into a war zone of sensory overload and expected him to play the mafia prince.""
The two drivers in the front visibly stiffened at my bluntness. But Dante didn't pull out a gun. Instead, he pulled out a leather-bound checkbook and an elegant black fountain pen.
""I am offering you a job,"" he said evenly. ""Full-time governess and personal companion to my son. You will move into my estate on Long Island tonight. You will accompany him everywhere. You will bridge the gap between him and this world.""
""And if I say no?"" I challenged him, desperate to retain some shred of my dignity.
Dante leaned forward, his imposing frame casting a shadow over me. ""If you say no, I won't hurt you. I am a monster, Sophie, but I don't butcher innocent girls who show kindness to my son. However, you will return to your roach-infested studio in Brooklyn, working eighty hours a week just to pay off the medical debts your dead brother left behind."" He scratched a number on a check and slid it toward me.
My eyes widened. The figure had more zeros than I had ever seen in my entire life. It was fifty thousand dollars—just for the signing bonus.
""Accept,"" Dante said quietly, ""and your debts disappear by midnight. Refuse, and you can walk away into the rain. The choice is yours.""
May you like
I looked at the check, then out the window at the cold, uncaring city. I had nothing left to lose. ""I have rules,"" I said, meeting his dark eyes. ""You don't boss me around when it comes to Leo's emotional well-being. And no guns around him.""
A faint, dangerous smirk touched Dante’s lips. ""Deal.""
