Chapter 7
Lily’s heart hammered wildly against her ribs, the sound deafening in her own ears. She looked at Nathaniel, the firelight catching the sharp angles of his jawline and the dangerous tattoos on his hands. He stood perfectly still, waiting for her answer with the infinite, terrifying patience of a predator.
"I'm not running from anyone," Lily tried to say, but her voice betrayed her, wavering slightly.
Nathaniel slowly set his crystal glass down on the mantelpiece. The soft clink sounded like a gavel dropping.
"Do not lie to me, Lily," Nathaniel said. His voice was a low, vibrating hum, deeply masculine and utterly uncompromising. "I can have my men tear apart your background in twenty minutes. I prefer you tell me the truth. You owe me nothing, but you saved my daughter today. That buys you my protection, regardless of what you are hiding."
The promise of protection from a man who ruled the city was a staggering offer. Lily looked down at her hands, the crisp white cuffs of her uniform suddenly feeling like handcuffs. She had spent the last two years running, hiding in plain sight, terrified of her own shadow.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and looked up, meeting his cold, perceptive eyes.
"My real name is Lily Vance," she whispered, the admission tasting like ash in her mouth. "My father was Arthur Vance."
Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed instantly, the name triggering a rapid calculation in his mind. "Vance. The federal prosecutor who was assassinated in Chicago three years ago."
"He wasn't just a prosecutor," Lily corrected softly, a bitter edge entering her elegant voice. "He was building a massive RICO case against the Moretti syndicate. They didn't just assassinate him. They burned our house down with him inside it. I was at university when it happened."
The pieces clicked together perfectly in Nathaniel’s mind. The refined, sophisticated demeanor she possessed wasn't an act; she was the highly educated daughter of a wealthy federal lawyer, forced to disappear into the lower class to survive.
"The feds couldn't protect you?" Nathaniel asked, walking slowly toward her chair.
"The feds had a leak," Lily scoffed bitterly, tears gathering in her eyes again. "The Moretti family knew where the safehouses were. They sent hitters after me twice. I realized that trusting the government was a death sentence. So, I ran. I changed my name, dyed my hair, and started taking cash jobs cleaning houses. I thought... I thought if I worked for the Cross syndicate, the Moretti family would never dare look for me here. You are the only people they fear."
She looked up at him, her fair, rosy face pale with the terrifying vulnerability of her confession. "Are you going to hand me over to them, Mr. Cross?"
Nathaniel stopped directly in front of her. The sheer size of his broad shoulders blocked out the firelight, casting her entirely in his shadow. He looked down at the beautiful, terrified woman who had sacrificed her safety to protect a child.
He slowly reached down. His heavily tattooed hand gently cupped her delicate cheekbone, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. The touch was incredibly tender, a shocking contrast to his violent reputation.
"The Moretti syndicate will never touch you, Lily," Nathaniel murmured, his deep voice carrying a terrifying, absolute certainty. "They do not cross my borders. And as of tonight, you are no longer a housemaid. You are officially under the protection of the Cross family."
"I... I don't understand," Lily whispered, her breath catching at his touch.
"You are going to become Sophie's primary guardian," Nathaniel stated, the decision already finalized in his mind. "You will move into the suite adjoining hers. You will have a full security detail whenever you leave the estate. You will never scrub another floor."
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"Why are you doing this?" Lily asked, searching his cold eyes for a catch.
"Because my daughter loves you," Nathaniel answered simply, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "And because I protect what is mine."
