Chapter 2 - SHADOWS OF THE HARBOR
The transition from the basement laundry room to the upper floor of the Castellano mansion happened within minutes. Dante didn’t offer an explanation, and his men didn’t ask questions. Two guards cleared the hallway as Dante led Rosie upstairs, with Titan following closely at her heel, refusing to leave her side.
Rosie’s mind raced as her shoes sank into the plush Oriental rugs of the main wing. She had spent the last month dodging security personnel and keeping her head down. Now, she was walking right into the center of the lion's den.
Dante opened the doors to a massive mahogany-lined study. Huge glass windows overlooked the misty harbor of Baltimore, where cargo ships moved like ghosts through the grey damp air.
"Sit," Dante commanded gently, nodding toward a leather armchair.
Rosie sat on the edge of the cushion, her muscles tense. Titan immediately collapsed at her feet, placing his heavy chin directly over her shoe.
"You aren't afraid of him," Dante said, stepping behind his glass desk. He unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing the dark leather holster strapped across his chest.
"I know animals," Rosie said, keeping her voice steady and angling her right ear slightly toward him. "He was hurt. He wasn't aggressive out of malice; he was protecting himself because he was in pain."
Dante leaned against the mahogany desk, crossing his arms. His dark eyes searched her face with uncomfortable intensity. "Titan killed a rival soldier two days ago. Three men tried to put him down this morning. He tore through two leashes and bit the trainer. Yet he let you climb into a sink with him."
"Because I didn't approach him like a threat," Rosie replied. "And because he's deaf on his left side. He was startled, not crazy."
Silence fell over the room. Dante stared at her, his expression shifting from cold authority to genuine intrigue. He picked up a slim paper file from his desk, flicking it open.
"Rosalind Whittaker," Dante read aloud. "Former vet tech at Harbor Point Animal Hospital. Fired six weeks ago following an 'incident' with a prominent city councilman's dog. Blacklisted from every private clinic in Maryland within forty-eight hours."
Rosie felt a lump form in her throat. "You looked into me?"
"I look into everyone who breathes the air in my house," Dante said smoothly. He closed the file with a soft snap. "The councilman lied. His dog had fractured ribs from abuse. You refused to sign a report claiming it was hit by a car."
Rosie swallowed hard. "It was the truth."
"Truth is an expensive luxury in this city, Rosalind," Dante said, stepping closer until he stood directly in front of her chair. "You chose honesty over your career, lost everything, and ended up washing blood out of my bodyguards' shirts for twenty dollars an hour."
"I have a younger brother to feed," she said defensively, her chin rising. "I do what I have to do."
Dante reached out, his fingers brushing near her shoulder, startling her, but he merely picked off a stray piece of white lint from her sweater. His touch was unexpectedly light, sent a strange electricity down her spine.
"Starting today, your job changes," Dante said, his voice quiet and firm. "You are Titan's personal handler. You will oversee his medical recovery, his diet, and his training. You answer only to me."
"And if I say no?" Rosie asked softly.
May you like
Dante tilted his head, a dark, half-smile touching his lips. "You won't. Because I pay five times what the laundry room gave you. And because out there, the councilman's men are still looking to ruin you. In here, nobody touches what belongs to Dante Castellano."
Rosie looked down at Titan, who gave a low, comfortable sigh against her shoe. She looked back up into Dante’s dark eyes, realizing instantly that entering his world meant stepping into a storm—but for the first time in months, she felt a strange sense of shelter.
