Chapter 6 - Safe Within the Walls
The east guest wing of the Rossi estate was larger than Tessa’s entire Englewood apartment building. It consisted of three beautifully furnished rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a private walled garden, a marble bathroom, and a small kitchen pantry stocked with every fruit, juice, and snack imaginable.
When Gabe brought Mia through the front gates the following afternoon, carrying her small suitcase and her favorite worn stuffed toys, the seven-year-old girl gasped in sheer disbelief.
“Mommy!” Mia cried, running across the plush hardwood floor of their new living room, her eyes wide with amazement. “Are we living in a castle?”
Tessa knelt down, hugging her daughter tightly against her heart. “It’s Mr. Rossi’s house, sweetie. He’s letting us stay here for a little while so we can be safe.”
Mia pulled back, looking at the bright room, then down at the small continuous glucose monitor on her arm. “Is Mr. Rossi the nice man who sent the yummy food and the cold box for my medicine?”
“Yes, baby,” Tessa smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. “He’s the one.”
At that moment, the door to the guest wing opened softly. Zo stepped inside, dressed in a simple dark sweater and trousers, having shed his formal suit jacket. He looked remarkably approachable, though his commanding presence still filled the space effortlessly.
Mia immediately went quiet, hiding slightly behind her mother’s leg, her big brown eyes observing the tall man with intense curiosity.
Zo stopped a few feet away, lowering himself slowly onto one knee so he was at eye level with the little girl. He reached into his sweater pocket and pulled out a small wooden box tied with a red ribbon.
“You must be Mia,” Zo said, his deep voice unexpectedly gentle and soft.
Mia nodded shyly from behind Tessa’s knee.
“I’m Zo,” he said, holding out the wooden box. “I heard from Carmine that you like painting. This is a special set of watercolors from Italy. I thought you might want to paint some pictures for your room.”
Mia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked up at Tessa, asking for silent permission. Tessa gave her a warm, encouraging nod.
Mia stepped forward, taking the small wooden box in her hands. “Thank you, Mr. Zo.”
“You’re very welcome,” Zo smiled. Then his eyes drifted to the small fabric tote Mia was holding—and the one-eared stuffed rabbit sticking out from the top.
Zo reached into his pocket once more and pulled out a tiny, perfectly crafted leather ear, along with a needle and thick thread.
“Carmine’s mother used to repair antique toys,” Zo said quietly, looking up at Tessa before looking back at Mia. “I asked her to craft a replacement ear for your rabbit. If you’d like, we can fix him up together later.”
Mia stared at the tiny leather ear, then looked up at Zo with pure, unadulterated trust. Without warning, the little girl stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Zo’s neck, hugging him tightly.
Zo froze for a fraction of a second, completely stunned by the innocent gesture. In his thirty-five years of life, surrounded by crime, power, and violence, no child had ever hugged him. Slowly, carefully, as if afraid he might break her, Zo brought his arms around the little girl, patting her back gently.
Tessa stood nearby, her hand pressed against her mouth as tears spilled over her eyelashes. In that quiet moment, watching the ruthless Chicago syndicate boss hold her daughter with such delicate care, the last remaining walls around her heart crumbled completely.
Later that evening, after Mia had fallen fast asleep in her plush bed—wrapped in soft sheets and safe behind armored glass—Tessa walked out into the private walled garden.
The night air was cold, but a outdoor gas fireplace was crackling near the stone patio, casting a warm orange glow across the paved stones.
Zo was standing near the edge of the patio, holding a glass of amber bourbon, looking up at the clear, starry sky.
Tessa walked over, stepping up beside him. “She’s fast asleep,” she said softly. “She hasn't slept this soundly in months.”
Zo didn't look away from the stars, but a soft expression softened his jawline. “She’s a good kid, Tessa. She deserves a good life.”
“You gave her that life,” Tessa said, her voice thick with emotion. “You saved us, Zo. When I dropped those containers in the mudroom two weeks ago, I thought my life was over. I thought you were going to destroy me.”
Zo turned to face her, setting his glass down on a nearby stone ledge. He took a step closer, looking down into her face illuminated by the flickering firelight.
“When I looked into your canvas bag that night, Tessa,” Zo said softly, “I was looking for a traitor. I was looking for proof that the world is as corrupt and fake as I’ve always believed it to be.”
He reached out, his warm fingers gently brushing a dark strand of hair away from her temple.
“Instead,” Zo continued, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath catch, “I found a woman who was braver and more honorable than any man I’ve ever known. You didn't just save my business from Marco, Tessa. You reminded me what it means to be human.”
Tessa’s heart hammered against her ribs, not with fear, but with a deep, soaring emotion that filled every corner of her soul. She leaned slightly into his hand, her palm coming up to rest gently against his chest, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat beneath his shirt.
“Zo...” she whispered.
Before she could say another word, the sharp, urgent chime of Zo’s encrypted satellite phone broke the quiet of the garden.
Zo paused, holding her gaze for one more lingering second before stepping back and pulling the phone from his pocket. He answered it, his expression instantly morphing back into the hard, decisive commander.
“Talk to me, Gabe,” Zo said flatly.
He listened for ten seconds, his jaw tightening until the muscles flared beneath his skin.
“Where?” Zo demanded.
May you like
He listened for five more seconds, then cut the call. He looked back at Tessa, his eyes filled with a dark, grim gravity.
“The Moretti family just realized Marco is in federal custody,” Zo said quietly. “They know the breach failed, and they’ve mobilized their entire crew along the riverfront. They’re coming to force a final confrontation tonight.”
