Chapter 16 - The Fortress
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When Charlotte woke up, she was no longer in the freezing woods or the noisy helicopter.
She was in a massive, sunlit bedroom. The bed was as soft as a cloud, draped in heavy silk sheets. Large windows overlooked the city skyline, but she noticed the thick, bulletproof glass and the subtle presence of armed guards patrolling the terrace below.
This wasn't the main Blackwood Estate. This was a fortress.
The bedroom door opened quietly, and Damian stepped in. He had changed out of his bloody clothes into a clean, dark suit. He looked tired, but the moment he saw her awake, his face softened completely.
“How do you feel?” he asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Warm,” Charlotte admitted, placing a hand on her belly. “The babies are quiet.”
“The doctor said they’re perfectly healthy,” Damian smiled, reaching out to gently rest his large hand over hers on her stomach. The reverence in his touch made her breath catch.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“My private penthouse. It’s an impenetrable bunker in the sky,” Damian explained. “Only my most loyal men know about it. You’ll be safe here while I finish cleaning up the mess my family made.”
Charlotte looked at him, remembering the ruthless man in the woods. “What are you going to do to Silas?”
Damian’s eyes darkened, the mafia boss resurfacing. “I am going to ensure he can never hurt anyone ever again. And then, I am going to deal with my father.”
“Damian, he’s your family.”
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“You are my family,” Damian corrected fiercely, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. “You and these babies are my only blood now. I lost you once because I played by their rules. I will never make that mistake again.”
He kissed her, slow and desperate, pouring six months of agony and longing into the touch. Charlotte kissed him back, finally home.
