"A three-year-old girl walked up to Chicago's most feared mafia boss, lifted her arms, and asked for a five-minute hug because she'd never been held by a father. Then Dominic Valenti knelt down, looked over her shoulder at me, and stared like he already knew who she was."

When the heavy steel door finally clicked open, the smell of cordite and burnt gunpowder drifted into the nursery, mixing with the sweet scent of baby powder.

Dominic stood in the doorway. His tactical turtleneck was torn at the shoulder, a shallow, bleeding graze marked his left cheek, and his knuckles were bruised and dark with dried blood. But he was standing tall, his breathing steady, his gray eyes scanning the room to ensure we were unharmed.

“It’s over,” Dominic said, his voice raspy. “Salvatore’s vanguard has been cleared from the property. They won't try that again anytime soon.”

Sophie rubbed her eyes, blinking sleepily in the dim light. “Is it morning, Mommy?”

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” I whispered, kissing her forehead while my hands still shook uncontrollably.

Dominic stepped closer, his boots clicking softly against the carpet. He reached out, gently lifting Sophie from my arms and holding her against his shoulder with a practiced ease that still amazed me.

“You can't stay here, Claire,” Dominic said quietly, turning his back to walk toward the rocking chair.

I froze. A cold knot twisted sharply in my stomach. “What? Are you firing me? Are you throwing us out because your enemies found us?”

“No,” Dominic said, sitting down in the rocking chair with Sophie resting her head against his chest. He looked up at me, his expression heavy with a profound, bitter resignation. “I’m sending you away. Private jet to Zurich tomorrow morning. A fully funded trust, a secure home in the Swiss Alps, and twenty-four-hour armed protection that cannot be breached.”

I stared at him in stunned disbelief.

“You think buying us a ticket to Switzerland solves this?” I stepped forward, my voice rising. “You think hiding us behind a mountain makes the danger go away? Dominic, I spent my entire childhood running from shadows because of your family! I am not spending Sophie’s childhood doing the same thing!”

“You don't understand,” Dominic growled, standing up so abruptly the rocking chair nearly tipped backward. He carefully handed a confused Sophie back to me before stepping into my personal space. “Salvatore knows you’re here. The entire underworld knows I have a soft spot now. Every enemy I’ve ever made is going to use you as a knife to drive straight through my heart!”

“Then let them try!” I shouted back, tears of sheer frustration spilling over my lashes. “You think I’m afraid of your enemies? I’m more afraid of living a life where my daughter is taught to hide from the world just because men with guns can't settle their disputes like civilized human beings!”

Dominic froze.

The fierce, protective rage in his eyes flickered, replaced by a devastating, hollow shock.