Chapter 7 - The Ledger of Blood
The private medical wing of DeLuca House was quiet except for the rhythmic beep
of the vital monitors and the hiss of the oxygen concentrator. Claire lay in the
high-tech hospital bed, her face flushed red with fever, an IV line taped to the
back of her hand. Roman had not left her side for four hours. He sat in the hard
leather chair next to the bed, holding her limp hand between both of his, his
head bowed. Dr. Rossi adjusted the IV drip and stepped back, sighing deeply.
"The hypothermia caused acute pulmonary inflammation," Rossi explained quietly.
"Her fever peaked at 104, but the antibiotics and anti-inflammatories are
beginning to work. The next few hours will determine if her lungs clear without
permanent damage." "She will recover," Roman said, not looking up from Claire's
pale face. It was not a question; it was a command directed at the universe.
"She's a strong woman, Mr. DeLuca," Rossi added softly before slipping out of
the room.
The heavy ledger Claire had saved sat on the small bedside table. Roman reached
over with one hand and flipped through the yellowed pages. There, in Thomas
Bennett’s meticulous, elegant handwriting, was the complete paper trail. Arthur
Mercer had embezzled forty-two million dollars from the DeLuca maritime
logistics accounts. When Thomas discovered it, Mercer had forged documents
implicating Thomas in a fraudulent kickback scheme, threatening to send Thomas
to federal prison and leave his disabled child destitute unless he signed an
admission of debt and went into exile. Thomas had spent the rest of his life
working low-wage odd jobs, paying Mercer every spare cent to keep his daughters
safe, dying of a broken heart before he could ever clear his name. And his
daughter came to work in my house, Roman thought, his heart aching with a
profound, crushing sorrow. She scrubbed my floors while Mercer sat at my dining
table.
Claire stirred against the white pillows. A soft moan escaped her lips. Her eyes
slowly opened, blinking against the soft ambient light of the medical lamps.
"Roman...?" she murmured weakly. Roman immediately stood up, leaning over the
bed rail, gently smoothing her damp hair away from her forehead. "I'm here,
Claire. I'm right here." She looked at his face. He looked exhausted. Dark
circles shadowed his eyes, his stubble was rough, and his dress shirt was torn
at the shoulder where the shrapnel had grazed him. "You're hurt," Claire
whispered, raising her hand with great effort to touch the bandage on his
collarbone. Roman closed his eyes, leaning his cheek into the soft palm of her
hand. "I'm fine. A scratch." "You shouldn't be here," she said, her voice thick
with emotion. "You're Roman DeLuca. You should be running your city." Roman
opened his eyes, staring deeply into hers with an intensity that took her breath
away. "There is nowhere in this world I would rather be than right beside you,"
he said. "I spent two years watching you from across rooms, Claire. I saw how
you carried the weight of the world on your shoulders without ever asking for
help. I was a coward. I told myself you were better off without a man whose life
is surrounded by violence."
May you like
Claire’s eyes filled with tears. "You called me... earlier, in the vault... you
told Vivian..." Roman didn't flinch. "I told her the truth. I love you, Claire
Bennett. Not because of a contract, not because of high-society bloodlines. I
love your courage, your kindness, your softness, and the fire you hide behind
that quiet smile." Claire’s lips trembled. "Roman... look at me. I'm a maid. I'm
not polished. I don't fit in your world." "Then I will burn my world down and
build a new one around you," Roman replied without hesitation.
Before Claire could answer, the double doors of the medical wing burst open.
Dante stepped in, his face tight with urgency. "Boss, we have an emergency,"
Dante said. "Arthur Mercer escaped the federal marshal roadblock. He took a
private helicopter to Connecticut—he’s heading directly for Harbor Ridge
Rehabilitation Center. He knows the game is up, and he’s going after Claire’s
sister."
