Chapter 8 - Safe Harbor
The sun was rising over the Atlantic when my black SUV pulled back through the iron gates of the Rossi estate. The morning sky was painted in brilliant streaks of gold, rose, and amber, cutting through the remnants of the nightâs storm.
I took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the exhaustion deep in my bones and the faint smell of gunpowder clinging to my jacket.
I reached the master suite and punched the eight-digit bypass code into the safe room panel. The heavy electronic deadbolts disengaged with a solid hiss of pressurized air.
The heavy steel door swung inward.
Hannah was sitting on the floor in the corner of the vault, her back against a stack of wool blankets, cradling Leo securely against her chest. When she saw me walk through the doorway, uninjured and whole, a choked sob escaped her throat.
"Lorenzo," she breathed, struggling to stand.
I crossed the room in two strides and caught her by the arms before her trembling legs could give out. Leo was sound asleep, full and warm, completely unaware of the war that had been fought for his life while he rested.
"It's over," I said softly, my voice hoarse. "All of them. It's finished. You and Leo are completely safe."
Hannah buried her face in my shoulder, weeping tears of pure exhaustion and relief. For the first time, I didn't pull away. I wrapped my arms around her and my son, holding them both tight against my chest, breathing in the scent of baby powder, lavender, and life.
"I was so scared," she whispered into my coat. "I thought... I thought I was going to lose another family."
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I pulled back slightly, looking down into her tear-streaked face, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You will never lose this family, Hannah," I promised her. "Not as long as I draw breath."
