Chapter 10 - Forever
"Run!" Dominic roared, grabbing Norah by the waist and practically throwing her toward the side exit.
Liam scrambled out the front doors just as the C4 charges detonated with a catastrophic roar.
The entire front half of the historic chapel completely vaporized in a massive ball of orange fire.
Dominic and Norah tumbled out into the adjacent graveyard, showered by flying debris and burning wood.
They landed hard in the damp grass, Dominic shielding her body entirely with his own until the shockwave passed.
Sirens began to wail in the distance, echoing through the empty streets of the North End.
Norah opened her eyes, coughing on the dust, and looked up at the man who was now legally her husband.
"Are you okay?" she gasped, her hands frantically checking his sutured wound.
"I am perfectly fine," he smiled, a genuine, unguarded expression that completely transformed his dark features.
The Tarasov syndicate fell apart entirely by morning, leaving Dominic with unchallenged control of the city.
Liam was given a vast sum of money and safely relocated out of the country with his family to start a new life.
A week later, Norah stood on the balcony of the grand stone estate, watching the Atlantic crash against the cliffs.
She was no longer wearing cheap scrubs; she wore a soft cashmere sweater, feeling completely safe for the first time in years.
Dominic walked out onto the balcony, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
"I meant what I said in the restaurant, Norah," he murmured into her hair.
"Forever means forever."
She turned around, resting her hands on his chest, and smiled up at him.
"I think I can live with forever," she whispered before kissing him deeply.
Their peaceful moment was interrupted when Carla stepped onto the balcony, holding a small, silver tray.
"A package arrived for you, Mrs. Russo," Carla said, her tone devoid of its usual harshness.
Norah picked up the unmarked black envelope and tore it open, revealing a yellowed, ancient birth certificate.
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The document proved that Dominic's grandmother had not bought the gold ring in Naples at all.
She had stolen it from Norah's great-grandfather, a rival boss who had sworn a blood oath to eradicate the Russo bloodline.
