Chapter 7 - THE CONFRONTATION
The phone slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering onto the floorboard of the SUV.
Through the rain-streaked rearview mirror, Julian stood perfectly still, his tailored suit completely dry beneath the large black umbrella. Leo was tucked tightly against Julian’s side, shivering violently in his pajamas, his small face pale with absolute terror.
Julian tapped the barrel of his suppressed pistol against the rear bumper of the SUV, right next to the fuel tank.
He didn’t need to say another word.
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird, but the panic that had paralyzed me moments ago suddenly vanished. It was replaced by a singular, blinding, maternal fury. Clara had died protecting this boy. I had spent three years scrubbing toilets and eating instant ramen to protect this boy.
I was not going to let a man in a thousand-dollar suit take him from me.
I grabbed the heavy silver bracelet from my pocket, gripping it tightly in my fist. I unlocked the SUV doors and stepped out into the freezing, torrential rain.
The wind off the river immediately soaked through my clothes, but I didn’t shiver. I locked my eyes on Julian and walked slowly to the back of the vehicle.
“Auntie Maya!” Leo cried out, trying to pull away from Julian’s grip.
“It’s okay, Leo,” I said, forcing my voice to stay perfectly calm, perfectly steady. “I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.”
“Such a touching family reunion,” Julian sneered, keeping the gun leveled at my chest as I stepped into the yellow glow of the parking lot lights. “Toss the bracelet, Maya. Slide it across the concrete.”
I stopped about five feet away from them.
“You said Elias was waiting for Adrian upstairs,” I said, my voice cutting through the sound of the rain. “You set Elias up to die.”
Julian shrugged elegantly. “Elias was a maniac. He was obsessed with revenge. I am a businessman. I only care about the ledger. Elias thought he was using me to get it, but I was simply using him to distract Adrian long enough to get you alone.”
“If you kill me, Adrian will hunt you to the ends of the earth,” I warned.
“Adrian will be dead before sunrise,” Julian replied casually. “Once I have the ledger, I will sell the transit routes to the Russians, hand Adrian’s location over to the feds, and retire to Monaco. Now. The bracelet.”
I held the heavy silver jewelry up in the rain.
“Let Leo go first,” I demanded. “Send him to me. Then I’ll toss it.”
Julian sighed, looking genuinely bored by the negotiation. He lowered the gun from my chest, aiming it directly down at Leo’s small head.
“I don’t negotiate with the help, Maya,” Julian said, his eyes turning dead and flat. “Drop the bracelet, or I paint the concrete with the boy.”
My breath caught. There was no bluff in his eyes. He was going to pull the trigger.
I raised my arm and tossed the heavy silver bracelet. It clattered against the wet concrete, sliding to a stop exactly between Julian’s polished leather shoes.
Julian smiled. He kept the gun aimed at Leo as he slowly crouched down to pick up the bracelet.
It was a fraction of a second. A single moment where his attention was split between the heavy silver jewelry and the hostage.
I didn’t think. I just moved.
I lunged forward, closing the five-foot gap in a desperate sprint. I didn’t go for Julian’s gun. I went for Leo.
I slammed my body weight directly into Julian’s shoulder just as his fingers brushed the bracelet. The impact knocked him off balance on the slick concrete. He stumbled backward, his grip on Leo loosening.
I grabbed the collar of Leo’s pajama shirt and yanked him backward behind me with terrifying force, shielding his small body with my own.
Julian hit the ground hard, his umbrella clattering away in the wind. He scrambled up instantly, his face twisting into a mask of pure, ugly rage.
He raised his gun, aiming it directly at the center of my chest.
“You stupid, arrogant little maid,” Julian hissed, his finger tightening on the trigger.
I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms tightly around Leo, pressing his face into my stomach. I love you, Clara, I thought. I kept him safe.
A deafening roar echoed through the concrete parking garage.
It wasn’t Julian’s gun.
Julian’s shoulder violently jerked backward in an explosion of red mist. He screamed, dropping his weapon as he collapsed onto the wet pavement, clutching his shattered collarbone.
I opened my eyes, gasping for air.
Standing at the top of the concrete ramp, fifty feet away, was Adrian Voss.
He was holding his weapon with both hands, smoke curling from the barrel. His suit was torn, and blood was streaming down the side of his face from a deep cut on his temple, but his dark eyes were locked entirely on Julian with the fury of a god of war.
Adrian didn’t lower his gun. He stalked down the ramp, his boots splashing heavily in the puddles.
Julian writhed on the ground, groaning in agony, his hand desperately reaching for the gun he had dropped.
Adrian reached him before his fingers could brush the metal.
Without a word, Adrian kicked Julian’s gun over the edge of the parking structure, sending it plummeting into the Chicago River below. Then, Adrian planted his heavy boot squarely on Julian’s wounded shoulder, pinning him to the concrete.
Julian screamed, a pathetic, ragged sound.
“Elias talks too much,” Adrian said, his voice a low, terrifying growl that carried over the rain. “He bragged about your little arrangement before I put a bullet in his chest upstairs.”
“Adrian, wait,” Julian begged, coughing up blood. “I can give you the Russian buyers. I can give you the names of the traitors in the syndicate! Just let me live!”
Adrian leaned down, pressing the barrel of his gun directly between Julian’s terrified eyes.
“You touched my family,” Adrian whispered.
Adrian pulled the trigger.
The sharp crack echoed off the concrete, and Julian went completely still.
Adrian stood up slowly, lowering his weapon. The absolute violence that had just radiated from him seemed to vanish into the rain. He holstered his gun and turned toward me.
I was kneeling on the wet concrete, rocking Leo back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably.
Adrian rushed over, dropping to his knees beside us. He didn’t care about the blood on his face or the rain soaking his clothes. He wrapped his massive arms around both of us, pulling us tightly into his chest.
“I’ve got you,” Adrian breathed into my wet hair, his hands shaking for the very first time. “I’ve got you. It’s over.”
Leo peeked out from my arms, looking up at Adrian’s bruised and bleeding face.
“You saved us,” Leo whispered, his small hands reaching out to touch the fabric of Adrian’s ruined suit.
Adrian looked down at the boy, his dark eyes softening with a profound, overwhelming emotion.
“I will always save you, Leo,” Adrian vowed softly.
Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires echoed up the ramp. Four heavily armored SUVs tore into the parking structure, their headlights blinding us.
Marcus leaped out of the lead vehicle before it was even fully in park, an assault rifle raised. He swept the area, his eyes landing on Julian’s body, then on Adrian holding us on the ground.
“Boss!” Marcus yelled, running over. “The perimeter is secure. The rest of Julian’s crew surrendered when they heard Elias was dead.”
Adrian nodded slowly, helping me to my feet, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around my waist to keep me steady. He scooped Leo up effortlessly with his other arm, resting the boy on his hip.
“Marcus,” Adrian said, looking at the heavy silver bracelet still lying on the wet concrete. “Pick that up. It contains the master ledger. Bring it to the estate vault.”
Marcus grabbed the bracelet, nodding sharply. “Yes, sir. And what about them?” He gestured respectfully to me and Leo.
May you like
Adrian looked at me, his thumb gently wiping the rain and tears from my cheek.
“They are coming home with me,” Adrian said, his voice leaving absolutely no room for doubt. “And they are never leaving.”
