Chapter 6 - The Empire He Chose to Change
Six months later, Dante Moretti stood before twenty-seven employees in the Hollow Pine conference room.
“No.”
Everyone went silent.
I crossed my arms.
Dante stared at the proposal I'd placed in front of him.
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Because it's expensive.”
“You own three helicopters.”
“Two.”
“You sold one?”
“It was inefficient.”
Marco whispered, “He bought a bigger one.”
Dante glared at him.
I smiled.
“My proposal creates emergency housing for employees escaping domestic violence.”
“I read it.”
“Legal assistance.”
“I read that too.”
“Paid leave.”
“Claire.”
“Transportation.”
He sighed.
“How much?”
I named the figure.
Three executives nearly fainted.
Dante stared at me.
“You enjoy spending my money.”
“Very much.”
“Approved.”
Everyone blinked.
I did too.
“That easily?”
“No.”
He closed the folder.
“I'll double it.”
The room went silent.
“Dante.”
“Your plan covers our employees.”
“Yes.”
“Expand it.”
“To what?”
“Entire county.”
I stared at him.
“You're serious.”
“Unfortunately.”
Marco smiled.
“Boss is getting soft.”
Dante pointed toward the door.
“Leave.”
Marco kept smiling.
Everyone filed out.
I stayed.
Dante came around the table.
Evan had pleaded guilty.
Gabriel Voss was awaiting trial.
Anthony had accepted a deal and entered federal custody.
Dante's legitimate businesses survived the investigations.
The rest?
He dismantled them himself.
Quietly.
One by one.
“No more cash businesses,” he'd told Marco.
“No more protection money.”
“No more favors from politicians.”
Marco had asked the obvious question.
“What are we supposed to be?”
Dante's answer had surprised everyone.
“Legitimate.”
It wasn't clean or easy.
But it was happening.
I looked at the proposal.
“You really want to fund this?”
Dante nodded.
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“I want to hear you say it.”
He sighed.
“Because someone should have helped you three years ago.”
My throat tightened.
“And because,” he continued, “the next Claire Dawson shouldn't have to accidentally trespass into a mafia boss's private hot spring before somebody notices she's in trouble.”
I laughed.
“That would be difficult to reproduce.”
“Very inefficient rescue model.”
“Terrible scalability.”
“Exactly.”
He reached into his jacket.
Then paused.
My eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Dante.”
He slowly removed a small black box.
I stared.
“No.”
His face changed.
“No?”
“No, you're not doing this in a conference room.”
“I reserved the spring.”
“You did?”
“Sunset.”
I stared at him.
“Then why do you have the ring?”
“Because Marco said I'd lose it.”
From outside the room came Marco's voice.
“You lose everything!”
Dante shouted, “I can hear you!”
I started laughing.
He shook his head.
“Seven o'clock?”
I looked at the box.
Then at him.
“Seven.”
He put it away.
“Good.”
“But I'm not promising an answer.”
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
“You accidentally invaded my private property, destroyed my criminal organization, cost me millions of dollars, and convinced me to fund a countywide shelter program.”
I smiled.
“You love me.”
His expression softened.
“Unfortunately.”
I kissed him.
May you like
“I love you too.”
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