Mafia Boss's Baby Won't Stop Crying On The Plane—Single Mom Does The Unthinkable

The silence that followed was heavy and absolute. The gunfire outside the panic room had finally ceased. Gabriel’s men had successfully repelled the Navarro assault, leaving the mansion a smoking, shattered ruin of its former glory.

Gabriel stepped out of the panic room, tossing the bloody combat knife onto a nearby credenza without a second glance. He looked exhausted, his broad shoulders slumped, but his eyes were sharp, scanning the hallway for any remaining threats.

Clare slowly stood up, holding Leo against her chest and keeping Maya tucked tightly behind her leg. She stepped out into the corridor.

The aftermath of the battle was horrifying. Bullet holes pockmarked the expensive silk wallpaper. Shattered glass from the imported chandeliers covered the marble floors like deadly snow. Bodies of cartel mercenaries lay in twisted heaps, surrounded by pooling blood.

Gabriel turned to look at her. The monster who had just executed her ex-husband in cold blood was gone, instantly replaced by the gentle, devoted man she had fallen in love with. He reached out, his blood-stained hands hovering inches from her face, terrified to touch her and taint her with the violence of his world.

“Don't look,” Gabriel whispered, his voice cracking as he tried to shield her view of the carnage.

“I’m already looking, Gabriel,” Clare said softly.

She didn't flinch away from him. She reached out with her free hand and grasped his wrist, pulling his palm gently against her cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch with a desperate, ragged sigh of relief.

“The compound is secure, Boss,” a battered, bruised lieutenant reported, jogging up the stairs, purposefully ignoring the intimate moment. “The Navarros are retreating. We wiped out half their strike team.”

“Double the perimeter,” Gabriel commanded coldly, not opening his eyes. “Burn the bodies. I want this mess cleaned up before the sun rises.”

The lieutenant nodded and vanished back down the stairs.

Gabriel opened his eyes, looking deeply into Clare’s. “You shouldn't have seen this. I promised to keep you safe, and I brought the war directly to your bedroom.”