Chapter 10
"I am safe, Gideon," Esme whispered, offering him a beautiful, tremulous smile. She gently brushed a stray curl from Maisie’s sleeping face, her fair skin glowing in the firelight. "Is it over? Is Blair gone?"
"She is locked in the basement cells," Gideon answered, his dark eyes tracing the delicate lines of Esme's face. "She will never threaten you or your daughter again. You have my word."
Esme let out a long, shuddering breath, the tension finally leaving her graceful posture. She looked at the artistic tattoos decorating Gideon's hands as he reached out to gently touch the sleeping child's shoulder, and then moved his hand to rest lightly against Esme's flat stomach.
"You should have told me," Gideon said softly, his deep voice thick with emotion. "You should have told me you were carrying my child, Esme. I would have protected you from the start. I would have never let her near you."
"I was afraid," Esme confessed, a single tear escaping to trace a path down her rosy cheek. "I am just a maid, Gideon. I have no powerful family, no wealth to offer you. I knew the Sinclair alliance was necessary for your syndicate. I thought if I told you, I would be forcing you to choose between your empire and a bastard child."
"Do you honestly believe I would ever choose an empire built on blood over the woman who holds my heart?" Gideon asked, his thumb gently wiping away her tear. "Do you think I care about the political demands of lesser men when my own blood is involved?"
Esme stared at him, her heart soaring as the implication of his words settled over her. The fear that had gripped her for twelve weeks was finally melting away, replaced by an undeniable, profound certainty. He was not rejecting her; he was claiming her.
"Will you stay with me, Esme?" Gideon asked, his voice dropping into a register of profound, raw vulnerability. "Will you take off that uniform, and let me take care of you, and build a life with you that no one in this city will ever dare to threaten?"
Esme didn't need to think. She reached out with her free hand, resting it gently against his chest, right over his racing heart. "I will stay with you forever, Gideon."
Gideon leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and pressed a deep, lingering kiss to her lips, sealing the quiet, mutual affection that had finally been brought into the light.
May you like
But the tender sanctuary of the bedroom was abruptly shattered by the blaring sound of the estate's perimeter alarm. The harsh, wailing siren cut through the silent night, signaling a massive breach.
Gideon pulled back instantly, the romantic vulnerability vanishing as the cold, calculating mask of the mafia boss slammed back into place. His hand dropped to the heavy pistol holstered beneath his tailored suit jacket. The Sinclair family had not waited for morning. The war had arrived at his gates, and the true battle for his family had only just begun.
