Chapter 9 - THE CLEANING OF THE HOUSE
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The dawn broke over Lake Michigan in pale ribbons of rose and gold.
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the city streets glistening clean beneath the morning light.
At the Gary airstrip, a dozen black federal vehicles had surrounded the grounded jet.
Special Agent Miller, the lead investigator on the organized crime task force, stood beside Luca on the wet tarmac.
Two agents were loading the handcuffed and weeping Vanessa Bellini into the back of an armored prison van.
Antonio Bellini had already been transported to the federal detention center under heavy military guard.
“You delivered them on a silver platter, Moretti,” Agent Miller said, lighting a cigarette against the wind.
“The Bellini syndicate is completely finished.”
“Their bank accounts in the Cayman Islands were frozen thirty minutes ago.”
Luca stood with his hands in his pockets, his hair damp from the rain, his black coat untouched by the violence.
“Our agreement stands, Miller?” Luca asked quietly.
“It stands,” Miller confirmed, exhaling a plume of smoke.
“Your name is completely expunged from the federal indictments.”
“As long as the south-side docks remain strictly commercial, the Department of Justice has no business with you.”
“They will remain commercial,” Luca replied smoothly.
“I am liquidating all peripheral operations by the end of the month.”
“My daughter deserves to grow up in the daylight.”
Miller looked at the mafia boss with genuine surprise, then nodded with respect.
“Good luck, Luca.”
Forty minutes later, the black Charger pulled back through the ornate iron gates of the Moretti estate.
The mansion was quiet, the storm having passed both outside and within.
Luca walked through the grand foyer, where a fresh cleaning crew was already scrubbing the marble floor.
He didn't stop in the ballroom.
He didn't check his emails in the study.
He walked straight up the grand staircase to the west wing sanctuary.
He pressed his thumb against the biometric scanner and pushed the heavy mahogany door open.
The room was warm, filled with the aroma of freshly brewed chamomile tea and lavender.
Sophie was sitting up in bed, color having returned to her small cheeks.
She was wearing her favorite pink pajamas, coloring a picture of a ballerina in a large sketchbook.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed, showing her how to shade the dress with colored pencils.
When the door opened, Sophie looked up, and her face lit up like a sunrise.
“Daddy!” she cried, dropping her pencil.
Luca’s cold, exhausted expression melted into an expression of pure, unconditional love.
He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the mattress, pulling his daughter into a fierce, protective embrace.
Sophie wrapped her small arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” she asked softly.
“I’m perfect, baby,” Luca whispered, kissing her dark curls.
“Everything is fixed.”
“The bad people will never, ever come back here again.”
Over Sophie’s shoulder, Luca’s eyes met mine.
He looked exhausted, his jaw covered in dark stubble, his eyes bearing the weight of a long and bloody night.
Yet, when he looked at me, the warmth in his gaze was so intense that my heart raced.
“Good morning, Claire,” he said, his deep voice sending shivers across my skin.
“Good morning, Mr. Moretti,” I replied with a soft smile.
Luca reached into his pocket and placed an official medical folder on the bedside table.
“Dr. Vance at Northwestern has already reserved a private suite for your mother.”
“A medical transport is picking her up at ten o’clock.”
Tears sprang to my eyes once again, and I pressed my trembling hand against my mouth.
“Thank you, Luca,” I whispered.
“Thank you so much.”
Sophie looked between the two of us, her big hazel eyes observant and bright.
“Daddy?” Sophie asked, tugging on his shirt sleeve.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Is Claire going to stay with us forever?”
Luca paused, looking down at his daughter, then slowly lifting his gaze back to me.
May you like
A slow, meaningful smile curved his lips.
“That,” Luca said softly, “is entirely up to Claire.”
