Semua Bab Everyday For The Thief: A Chaotic and Poetic Mafia Romance : Bab 191 - Bab 200

The next few hours dragged on, marked only by the gentle noise of the jet engine and the rhythmic breathing of Claudine. Hades didn't move. He held his wife, occasionally running his fingers over her smooth skin or adjusting the heavy blanket around her."She's finally getting some real rest, Boss," Charon observed quietly from across the cabin."She needs it," Hades murmured, his voice soft. "She carried the weight of my past for too long. This trip... it's the first time I've felt like I'm actually protecting her, not just putting her in a better bulletproof vest.""You did good, Hades," Claudine mumbled suddenly, her eyes still closed, startling both men. "You got us out. Stop being so tense."Hades chuckled, a low, deep sound that always amazed him when it escaped his throat. "I think being tense is just my default setting now, Mia. It keeps me sharp.""It makes you predictable," she countered, opening her eyes with a mischievous glint. "If you want to keep surprising me, you shoul

The Kalashnikov Estate had ceased to be a temporary hideout; it was now simply home. One full, quiet week had passed since the flight from America. The sheer weight of the stone walls, the vast, silent Russian snow of the winter break, and the constant presence of security had finally convinced Hades and Claudine to put down the weight they had carried for so long. The frantic tension of their old life melted away, replaced by a slow, deliberate rhythm of peace and recovery.The routine was simple, and it was powerfully healing. They woke together, ate every meal together, and spent their days in the large, book-lined library, never more than a few feet apart. The estate's silence was a blanket, and the lack of chaos was the greatest luxury they had ever known.One quiet afternoon, they were in the library. A massive fire burned in the hearth, filling the room with the scent of pine and old leather. Claudine was curled up in a deep, velvet armchair, a book resting unread on her knees.

The massive, dark jet cut through the warm, blue sky. It looked like a very expensive, very fast storm cloud. Below them was Sicily, the ancient, unforgiving home of the mafia. The landing was soft, but the feeling was hard. This was not a vacation. This was the enemy's living room.Hades helped Claudine off the plane. His arm around her was like a clamp. He did not smile. He did not look around with curiosity. His eyes were cold, sharp pieces of glass, constantly moving, constantly checking. He looked like a god of war who was trying very hard to pretend he was just a rich man in a suit."Not so sweet, this Sicily," Hades murmured to her, a rare attempt at a simple pun, but his voice was flat. He was already the Crossbearer.The hotel was not near the city. It was high up on a secluded hill, a fortress made of thick, pale stone, miles away from the trouble. Once inside the massive, quiet suite, Hades did not sit down. He moved like a ghost, checking every window, every lock, every co

Artemis, speeding back up the hill, heard the distant, muffled shots, followed by the immediate, high-pitched chatter on her secure earpiece. She was screaming into the line, sending the Code Red to Charon and the entire team. Hades's phone, which Charon had been ignoring due to the high-stakes meeting, was now blowing up with frantic, red-alert calls and texts. They were too far, too locked in to answer.Artemis burst into the hotel and found the chaos: Ivan, who had rushed back from his supply run, was fighting Adriano's two sentries in the hallway.Artemis didn't hesitate. She used her body as a weapon, dealing a quick, professional blow to one sentry, then racing past the fighting and into the suite.She stopped, horrified. Claudine was on the floor, bleeding profusely, clutching her stomach. Adriano was a dead weight on the marble."Mrs. Vancouver!" Artemis screamed, her professional control shattering. Tears sprang to her eyes, something that never happened. "Ivan! Get the car!

"Your wife is stable," the doctor said. "She is physically out of danger. She is strong. But... Mr. Vancouver, the trauma was too great. The severe shock and the physical attack caused a complete placental abruption. We stabilized the mother, but we were too late to save the baby girl."Hades didn't scream. He didn't fight. He just stood there, his face completely empty. It was as if his entire life had been scooped out. He looked at Charon, who was weeping silently."No," Hades whispered, a terrible, lost sound. "That can't be right. She was going to be the end of the war. She was fine yesterday. You are wrong."Charon stepped forward, his face wet with tears. "Boss, we have to go. The body count is too high. We have to get her back to the plane. We are not safe here anymore."Hades didn't hear him. He was a statue of grief. We lost her. We lost our baby.Hours later, Claudine was moved to a heavily secured, sterile recovery room. She was physically drained, hooked up to monitors and