Chapter 9 - THE RAIN OUTSIDE
Dante carefully lifted his sleeping daughter into his broad arms, wrapping her dark-blue velvet dress tightly against his chest. Sophia instinctively rested her head against her father’s neck, her small hand clutching the lapel of his charcoal wool suit.
Dante walked slowly toward the front entrance of Bellanote, flanked by his three bodyguards.
Tony Martinelli held the heavy glass front door open, bowing his head respectfully as the crime boss approached.
"Goodnight, Mr. Russo," Tony said politely.
Dante stopped in the doorway. He didn't look at Tony. He turned his head slowly, looking back over his shoulder across the dim, candlelit dining room.
Maya was standing near Table 12, gathering the purple crayon, the drawing paper, and the untouched plate of pasta onto her walnut tray. The warm amber light of the brass lamps caught the soft curve of her face, illuminating the quiet grace that defined her.
Dante’s pale gray eyes locked onto her one last time.
"Goodnight, Maya," Dante said softly over the sound of the falling rain outside.
Maya paused, looking up from her tray. "Goodnight, Mr. Russo. Safe travels home, Sophia."
Dante turned and stepped out into the cool, rain-slicked Manhattan night. His bodyguards opened the rear door of a sleek black armored SUV idling at the curb. Dante slid into the leather interior, carefully cradling his sleeping daughter against his chest as the heavy door clicked shut behind them.
Inside the SUV, the dark tinted windows blocked out the city lights.
Sophia stirred slightly in her sleep, her small fingers reaching up to clutch her father's shirt collar.
"Daddy...?" she whimpered softly in her sleep.
Dante leaned down, kissing her forehead gently. "I'm here, principessa. I'm right here."
May you like
Sophia’s lips curled into a tiny, peaceful smile. "Purple... cat..."
Dante looked out the rain-streaked window as the SUV pulled away from the curb, his sharp mind already turning over every detail of the evening. He looked down at his daughter’s small face, then back toward the glowing warm windows of Bellanote receding in the distance.
