Chapter 9 - THE LIGHT AT THE END
A single gunshot rang out through the foyer.
Uncle Carmine crumpled to the marble floor, dead before he hit the ground.
Bishop lowered his weapon and immediately dropped it, kicking it away. He raised his hands, looking down at Sloan, who had already lunged forward, shielding Leo with his own body.
“I was just muscle, boss,” Bishop said, his voice flat. “Marcus had my daughter. He threatened to kill her if I didn’t follow orders. I never wanted to hurt Mrs. Marchetti.”
Sloan didn’t look at Bishop. He untied Leo in frantic, tearing motions. He picked the sobbing five-year-old up, crushing the boy to his chest. “I’ve got you, buddy. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Del hurried down the stairs, one hand on the railing, the other holding her pregnant belly.
Sloan looked up, his eyes locking onto hers. He saw the blood blooming on the shoulder of her uniform.
“Delphine!”
He rushed to the bottom of the stairs, catching her as she stumbled on the last step. He wrapped his free arm tightly around her waist, pulling her and Leo into a desperate, unbreakable embrace.
“I’m okay,” Del sobbed into his neck, inhaling the scent of him, finally letting go of eight months of terror. “It’s just a graze. I’m okay. The baby is fine.”
Leo peeked out from Sloan’s shoulder, his tear-streaked face looking up at Del. “Auntie Del, is the scary man gone?”
“Yes, baby,” Del smoothed his dark hair, kissing his forehead. “He’s gone forever. You are home.”
Two Weeks Later
The morning sun poured through the massive windows of the Marchetti estate nursery, casting a warm golden glow over the fresh yellow paint and the heavy oak crib.
Sloan stood by the window, wearing a soft gray sweater instead of his usual tailored armor. He watched Leo running around the backyard below, chasing a golden retriever puppy they had adopted the day before.
The door opened softly.
Del walked in, wearing a flowing white linen dress, holding a steaming mug of tea. The dark bags under her eyes were gone. She looked radiant, peaceful, and heavily, beautifully pregnant.
Sloan turned, a smile breaking across his face—a genuine, unguarded smile that reached his eyes. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his large hands gently on the bottom of her stomach.
“Cora called,” Del said, leaning back into his solid warmth. “She’s out of the hospital. She wants to know if she can come over later to help paint the baby’s closet.”
“Only if she promises not to try and decorate it in mobster-chic,” Sloan joked softly, kissing the crook of Del’s neck.
They had cleaned house. Marcus and Carmine were gone. Bishop was exiled, allowed to live only because he saved Sloan’s life at the end. Sloan had officially stepped down as the head of the syndicate, passing the reins to a younger, distant cousin, choosing to protect his family over power.
He had chosen her. He had chosen peace.
“You know,” Sloan murmured, his voice rumbling against her back. “We still haven’t picked a name.”
Suddenly, Del gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. She dropped the mug of tea. It shattered on the floor, splashing warm liquid across the pristine rug.
Sloan spun her around, his eyes wide with panic. “What? Are you hurt? Is it—”
Del looked up at him, a breathless, glowing smile spreading across her face.
“No, Sloan,” she laughed, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him down for a kiss. “It’s time. We’re having a baby.”
Sloan’s panic melted into pure, unadulterated joy. He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her out of the nursery toward the future they had fought so hard to reclaim.
The ghosts were gone.
May you like
The family was whole.
And for the first time in her life, Delphine didn’t have to hide anymore.
