Chapter 10 - A New Dawn
Viktor raised his pistol, pressing the cold barrel directly against the back of Damien’s skull.
“Say goodbye to your empire, Ashworth,” Viktor sneered, his finger tightening around the trigger.
Before the hammer could fall, a shadow detached itself from the darkness of the kitchen alcove.
Brutus didn't bark. He didn't issue a warning.
With a roar that shook the glass windows of the forty-second floor, the one-hundred-and-fifty-pound mastiff launched himself across the room like a furry missile.
Viktor screamed as a wall of solid muscle slammed directly into his chest, sending the gun flying across the polished floor with a clatter. Brutus pinned the mob boss to the marble, his massive jaws snapping inches from Viktor’s throat, immobilizing him in a fraction of a second.
Briar didn't waste a heartbeat. She sprinted across the room, dropped to her knees beside Damien, and pulled a small pocket knife from her utility belt—the one she always carried for medical emergencies—slashing through the zip-ties binding his wrists.
Damien’s hands broke free. He rubbed his wrists, wincing slightly from his shoulder wound, before his powerful arms wrapped around Briar, pulling her against his chest as if he needed to make sure she was real.
“You idiot,” Briar choked out, tears finally breaking free as she buried her face in his neck. “You told me you’d be back before dinner.”
“I missed my reservation,” Damien murmured into her hair, a grim, blood-stained smile touching his lips.
Marcus and the remaining guards swarmed into the room seconds later, securing Viktor Vance and dragging him down to the waiting vehicles.
By midnight, the blood had been scrubbed from the marble. The penthouse was quiet once more, save for the crackling fire in the hearth and the steady, rhythmic breathing of Brutus sleeping soundly at the foot of the grand master bed.
Damien sat on the edge of the mattress while Briar carefully cleaned the shallow graze on his shoulder, applying antiseptic with gentle, practiced hands.
“You saved my life today,” Damien said softly, watching the way the firelight caught the determination in her eyes. “Both of you.”
Briar set the cotton pad down, looking up at him without a trace of fear or hesitation.
“We’re a pack now, Damien,” Briar whispered, using his first name for the very first time. “Broken things stick together.”
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Damien reached out, cupping her face in his warm palms, and pulled her into a kiss that sealed their fates forever.
Down in Brooklyn, the old clinic was empty, its doors locked for good. But high above the Manhattan skyline, in a world of wealth, shadows, and absolute power, a poor girl from the slums had finally found her home—not as a captive, but as a queen.
