Chapter 5 - The Ledger of BloodAn hour later, the rain had cleared, leaving the night sky above the Chicago River washed in a crisp, dark blue.
Inside the private office at the Romano estate, the silver briefcase sat open on the glass desk. Stacks of pristine, high-denomination Port Authority bearer bonds gleamed beneath the soft lamp light.
Chloe sat on the leather sofa near the fireplace, wrapped in a thick wool blanket, holding a warm cup of tea with shaking hands. Leo stood near the door, keeping a watchful eye on her, though his weapon was re-holstered.
Matteo stood by the window, staring out at the river, holding two crystal glasses filled with two fingers of amber bourbon.
He walked over to me, handing me one of the glasses.
"I don't usually drink during business hours," I said, accepting the glass.
"Consider it an institutional exception," Matteo replied, clinking his glass gently against mine. "Your calculations saved my family two million dollars, prevented a gang war with New York, and neutralized a traitor inside my inner circle. That warrants a drink."
I took a sip. The smooth, smoky liquor burned pleasantly down my throat.
"What happens to Chloe now?" I asked quietly, keeping my voice low so she wouldn't hear from the sofa.
Matteo looked over at my sister, then back to me.
"Under normal circumstances," Matteo said smoothly, "anyone who steals from the Romano family is buried beneath three feet of concrete in the Industrial Canal."
I felt my spine go rigid, my actuarial detachment momentarily slipping.
"However," Matteo continued, a subtle spark of warmth entering his cold hazel eyes, "your sister has proven to possess... highly specialized asset-acquisition skills. Skills that, under proper management, could be quite useful to our offshore investment divisions."
I blinked. "You're offering her a job?"
"I am offering her a choice," Matteo corrected. "She can work off her debt under strict supervision in our London clearing office, far away from Chicago's criminal elements... or she can face federal charges for wire fraud."
On the sofa, Chloe set her tea cup down and looked up. "London? Are you kidding me? I love London!"
I rolled my eyes, letting out a small, quiet sigh of relief. "She's hopeless."
"She's alive," Matteo said softly, stepping closer to me until he was standing barely an inch away. The proximity was intoxicating, his presence imposing yet strangely protective. "Thanks to you."
He reached out, his long, elegant fingers gently tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind my ear. His touch sent a subtle shockwave through my nervous system, far more disruptive than any threat Leo had made in the warehouse.
"And what about you, Miss Gallagher?" Matteo asked, his voice dropping into a low, velvet baritone. "What does an actuary do when her risk assessment is complete?"
"I return to my apartment on 14th Street," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I report to work at Sterling & Croft at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, and I pretend tonight never happened."
Matteo smiled—that slow, dangerous, captivating smile.
"I'm afraid that represents a severe flaw in your logic, Sophie," he murmured.
"How so?"
"You know the internal financial structure of the largest criminal syndicate in the Midwest," Matteo said, his eyes scanning my face with intense, unyielding fascination. "You manipulated my underboss, outsmarted my security team, and altered the outcome of a war. Do you truly believe I am going to let you go back to auditing insurance policies for middle-management executives?"
I held his gaze, my heart beating at a frequency that defied all my internal metrics.
"Are you threatening me, Mr. Romano?"
"I am making an investment," Matteo replied smoothly. "I am offering you the position of Chief Risk Officer for the entire Romano enterprise. Unlimited budget, absolute authority over internal security, and a salary that makes Sterling & Croft look like a charity."
I took a slow sip of my bourbon, weighing the variables.
May you like
"That position carries an extremely high risk profile," I noted.
"High risk," Matteo agreed, leaning down until his lips were brushed against the shell of my ear, his warm breath fanning across my skin. "High reward."
