Chapter 19 - The New Anchor
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A week later, the new ground-floor apartment felt like a different universe.
There were no creaking stairs to navigate. The kitchen light didn't flicker; the bulbs were bright and warm. The refrigerator was fully stocked, courtesy of an anonymous delivery service that arrived the day they moved in.
Brutus loved the private, fenced-in courtyard. He spent his mornings lying in the sun, his bruised ribs fully healed, watching the perimeter with a relaxed but alert vigilance.
Posie thrived in the new environment. The layout was open and easy to memorize. Without the constant, thrumming anxiety of the old apartment, she laughed more. She pushed her wheelchair through the living room with confident, sweeping motions, always knowing Brutus was exactly one paw-step away if she reached out.
Brier stood at the kitchen sink, washing dishes, watching her daughter play in the living room.
The heavy weight that had sat on her chest for seven long years was completely gone. She didn't jump when the floorboards creaked. She didn't look over her shoulder when she walked down the street. Silas was a ghost, rotting in a federal holding cell, entirely forgotten by the world.
But Brier couldn't stop thinking about the man who put him there.
Gabriel Rossi hadn't returned to the diner. He hadn't called. He had simply set their lives right and vanished back into the dark, violent underworld of the city, like a phantom.
A knock at the door broke her reverie.
Brier froze for a fraction of a second, old habits dying hard, but Brutus didn't growl. He simply walked to the front door and let out a soft, welcoming huff.
She wiped her hands on a towel and opened the door.
It wasn't Gabriel. It was Marco, his massive enforcer, wearing a sharp gray suit. He held a small, beautifully wrapped box in his massive, scarred hands.
"Morning, Brier," Marco grunted politely, offering a small, awkward nod.
"Marco. Is everything okay?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat.
"Everything is fine," Marco assured her, handing her the box. "The Boss wanted me to drop this off. Said it was important."
Brier took the box. "Is he okay?"
May you like
Marco smiled, a rare, genuine expression. "He's perfectly fine. He's been busy restructuring the East Side. But he told me to tell you that he hasn't forgotten his promise. You are under his protection. Always."
Marco turned and walked back to a waiting black SUV, leaving Brier standing in the doorway. She slowly untied the ribbon and opened the small box.
