Chapter 7 - The Light Was Still On
One year later, Benny's Burgers was still open.
Not because Vincent had bought it.
Maya never allowed that.
Instead, she bought it herself.
Vincent had introduced her to a legitimate small-business lender.
She had negotiated the loan without him.
Naturally.
The restaurant now had new booths, new kitchen equipment, and a framed photograph behind the register.
It showed Maya standing beside the restaurant's new sign.
Vincent was beside her.
She hated the picture.
He loved it.
At 11:47 p.m., Vincent entered.
Maya was mopping.
He stopped.
"You still do that yourself?"
"It's my restaurant."
"You employ twelve people."
"Eleven. Tyler quit."
"Why?"
"He joined a band."
Vincent nodded solemnly.
"Tragic."
Maya laughed.
Then noticed his expression.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Vincent."
He approached the counter.
"You remember the first night?"
"Unfortunately."
"You hid me in a bread cabinet."
"You complained the entire time."
"I was bleeding."
"You were dramatic."
"Six men were trying to kill me."
"Four."
"There were six."
"Four entered the restaurant."
Vincent smiled.
"You remember everything."
Maya placed the mop aside.
"I remember you pointing a gun at my floor."
"I wasn't pointing it at the floor."
"You scratched a tile."
"I replaced the tile."
"You replaced the entire floor."
"The tiles didn't match."
Maya shook her head.
"Impossible man."
Vincent reached into his coat.
Maya immediately pointed at him.
"No."
His hand stopped.
"You don't even know what I'm doing."
"I know you."
"Fair."
He removed a small black box.
Maya stared at it.
Her expression changed completely.
Vincent didn't kneel.
Not yet.
Instead, he placed the box on the counter between them.
"A year ago, I came through that door believing I could control everything."
Maya looked at him.
"My organization."
He paused.
"My enemies."
Another pause.
"My family."
His fingers rested beside the box.
"Then a woman with a mop told me to crawl into a bread cabinet."
Maya laughed softly.
"And somehow, that was the beginning of the first honest life I've ever had."
Vincent opened the box.
A simple diamond ring rested inside.
Nothing enormous.
Maya had once told him enormous rings looked ridiculous.
He had remembered.
Her eyes filled slightly.
Vincent came around the counter.
Then he knelt.
"Maya Bennett."
She covered her mouth.
"You gave me one rule the first night."
Maya whispered,
"In my car, I make the rules."
"Exactly."
He smiled.
"So I have one question."
"What?"
"Would you consider making the rules for the rest of my life?"
Maya laughed through her tears.
"That is the worst proposal I've ever heard."
Vincent's smile disappeared.
"Maya."
She dropped to her knees in front of him.
Then kissed him.
When she pulled back, Vincent looked confused.
"Is that a yes?"
"No."
His face fell.
Maya smiled.
"It's a yes on one condition."
Vincent exhaled.
"Of course there's a condition."
She pointed toward the restaurant windows.
Outside, four black SUVs were parked at the curb.
Twelve security men stood nearby.
Maya raised an eyebrow.
Vincent looked outside.
Then back at her.
"Three SUVs?"
"One."
"Two."
"One."
"Two, and they park around the corner."
Maya considered it.
"Deal."
Vincent slipped the ring onto her finger.
She looked down at it.
Then at him.
"You're learning."
"Slowly."
"Very slowly."
Vincent kissed her.
Outside, rain began falling over Mercer Street.
The neon sign above Benny's Burgers glowed against the wet pavement.
A year earlier, Vincent Moretti had seen that light while running for his life.
He had entered looking for somewhere to hide.
Instead, he found the only woman who had never been afraid to tell him no.
And Maya found something she had never expected either.
Not a crime lord she needed to save.
Not a dangerous man she needed to change.
But a stubborn man willing to change himself.
The restaurant remained open late that night.
The light stayed on.
But this time—
May you like
Vincent Moretti wasn't running from anyone.
He was finally home.
