Chapter 5 - Blood and Vows
A tall figure broke through the shadows at the base of the stairs, breathing heavily. The dim light caught the edge of a white button-down shirt, stained dark with blood at the shoulder.
It was Julian Rossi.
The woman let out a ragged gasp of relief, almost collapsing against the wall. Julian rushed over, his dark eyes instantly scanning the baby before looking up into her eyes. "Are you hit? Is he safe?"
"We're unhurt," she whispered, tears slipping down her pale cheeks again. "Mr. Rossi... your shoulder..."
"It's just a graze," Julian said gruffly, though his pale face betrayed the pain. He reached out, his big, calloused hand hovering gently over the baby's head before lightly touching the infant's cheek. The tiny baby instinctively turned toward his hand, grasping Julian's pinky finger with a surprisingly strong grip.
Julian’s intense, hardened expression melted for a fraction of a second into pure, unadulterated devotion.
"You saved his life tonight," Julian said, looking deeply into the woman's eyes. "Not just by feeding him, but by giving me a reason to fight back. What is your name? I never even asked you properly."
May you like
"Elena," she replied softly.
"Elena," Julian repeated, as if engraving the name into his soul. "From this second on, my life belongs to keeping you and my son safe. I swear it on the Rossi blood."
