Bleeding on White Marble: How the Devil of Beacon Hill Became My Sanctuary

Inside the reinforced library of the Beacon Hill estate, Harper sat at the oak desk, reviewing medical bill receipts and legal paperwork.

Despite the threat hanging over them, Gabriel had officially placed her on his payroll as his private administrative director, giving her an official status that protected her legally. But her mind wasn't on the numbers. It was on the man currently standing by the fireplace, staring into the flames.

Gabriel had been quiet since returning from his meeting with Callahan.

Harper stood up, walked over to him, and slid her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek against his back.

Gabriel stiffened for a second, unaccustomed to such uninhibited warmth, before relaxing into her touch. He covered her hands with his own, bringing them to his lips.

"You're thinking about him," Harper said softly. "Derek."

Gabriel turned around in her embrace, looking down at her. "He hasn't learned his lesson, Harper. He believes that by joining Moretti, he can reclaim power over you."

"He can't," Harper looked up, her eyes clear and unyielding. "He lost the moment I walked out that door. He’s just a ghost clinging to a badge he destroyed."

Gabriel reached up, tracing the soft line of her jaw. "Tomorrow night, it ends. All of it. The Moretti family, the precinct corruption, and Lawson."

"How?"

"I’m hosting a 'truce' dinner at the Grand Regency Hotel downtown," Gabriel murmured, his thumb brushing her lower lip. "Moretti thinks I’m coming to negotiate terms for the dock distribution rights. He plans to hit the hotel with Lawson leading a rogue tactical team."

Harper’s heart skipped a beat. "You're walking into an ambush on purpose?"

"It’s only an ambush if you don't own the building," Gabriel smiled faintly, leaning down until his lips hovered a breath away from hers. "The Grand Regency has belonged to my family for forty years. Every wall has a story. Every room has a trap."

Harper wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down. "Just promise me you won't let vengeance blind you, Gabriel. Noah and I need you back here."

Gabriel’s eyes softened into an expression of pure, unadulterated adoration. He leaned in and captured her lips in a deep, desperate kiss that tasted of rain, fire, and lingering promise. Harper melted against him, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as the cold reality of the world outside faded into the heat of his embrace.