Chapter 10 - THE GUARDIAN OF THE TOWER
Moretti turned around and walked back down the dark hallway, his stride fast, silent, and filled with lethal intent. He re-entered the master bedroom, locking the heavy interior door behind him with a solid, mechanical deadbolt.
Lily was still sitting on the high bed, tucked against the headboard under the warm accent light. The brightly colored storybook lay open on the white duvet beside the battered gray stuffed rabbit missing half an ear. The untouched, cold cup of black coffee sat silently on the nightstand.
She looked up as Moretti walked back into the light. She saw the heavy sidearm in his hand, but her expression did not change. She held no fear of him or his violence.
Moretti walked to the side of the bed. He slid the weapon into the shoulder holster he pulled from the nightstand, securing it over his black shirt, then sat down on the edge of the mattress.
He reached out with a heavy, calloused hand and gently pulled the open storybook toward himself.
"Lily," Moretti said, his voice quiet, steady, and devoid of the cold edge he used with his men. "You're going to stay here tonight."
Lily looked at him, then touched the worn plush fur of her gray rabbit. "Are you going to sleep now?"
Moretti looked at the dark, silent hallway beyond the locked interior door. He looked at the dim laptop screen, then down at the bright illustrations of the little bear in the sunlit forest.
A dark, dangerous smile touched the corners of his lips—a promise of retribution that would unfold before the sun rose over the New York skyline.
"No, Lily," Moretti whispered, reaching out to gently touch her messy brown curls. "I'm never going to sleep again. Read me the next page."
May you like
Lily smiled softly, lifted her small finger, and pointed to the next line of text on the bright page.
Outside the window, the lights of Manhattan continued to burn brightly in the midnight sky. Inside the high-altitude sanctuary, the powerful crime boss sat beside a five-year-old child, vigilant, dangerous, and completely awake—waiting for the shadow to return.
