Chapter 11 - The Ticking Clock
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The fallout from Vivian’s banishment was immediate.
Tension thickened the air in the Black Pelican. Syndicate soldiers loyal to Vivian’s family were spotted circling the hotel. Marcus spent hours in closed-door meetings with the capos, whispering about Dante’s erratic behavior and questioning the stability of a boss who would break an alliance over a maid.
Inside the penthouse, the pressure forged Dante and Lena into an unbreakable unit.
The physical therapy intensified. With the neurotoxins fully flushed from his system, Dante’s body was waking up in agony. Every night was a battle of sweat, pain, and fierce determination.
Lena was his anchor. When the pain became too much, she would hold his hands, pressing her forehead against his, breathing with him until the spasms passed.
“I can't walk into the gala in a chair,” Dante gasped one evening, sitting on the edge of a physical therapy table Elias had smuggled in. “Marcus is going to call for a vote of no confidence. If I look weak, the capos will side with him and Vivian’s father. I’ll lose the syndicate.”
“You won't lose,” Lena said fiercely, wiping the sweat from his brow with a cool towel. “You’ve regained sensation in both legs. You can lock your knees for almost thirty seconds. That’s a miracle in three weeks.”
“It’s not enough to walk,” Dante growled, frustrated by his own limitations.
“You don't need to walk a marathon, Dante,” Lena said softly, stepping between his knees and looking directly into his eyes. “You just need to stand. You need to look Marcus in the eye and show him he can't bury you.”
Dante looked at her. Her unwavering belief in him was a drug more powerful than any medicine Elias could prescribe.
He reached up, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. He buried his face in her neck, drawing strength from her heartbeat.
“I need you at that gala,” Dante murmured against her skin. “I need you standing right beside me.”
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“I’m just a maid, Dante,” Lena whispered, though she didn't pull away. “The capos will tear me apart.”
“You haven't been a maid since the day you dropped those towels,” Dante said, pulling back to look at her. “You are my right hand. And I’m going to make sure the entire underworld knows it.”
