Chapter 7
The darkness of the sub-basement garage was heavy, thick with the smell of gasoline and cold concrete. Behind the massive structural pillar, Hannah sank to her knees, her mint-green dress spreading out on the dirty floor. She pulled Sophia into her lap, wrapping her arms around the little girl to stifle any sound.
"Shh, sweetie, be as quiet as a mouse," Hannah whispered desperately, her soft blonde-brown hair brushing against Sophia’s rosy cheeks.
Sophia nodded, her wide, bright eyes shining in the faint red emergency light, burying her face into Hannah’s white apron.
Across the garage, Luca Moretti was no longer a visible target. He had melted into the shadows, his tailored black suit providing perfect camouflage. He moved with the silent, lethal grace of an apex predator.
"Fan out!" Marcus ordered his men, his voice echoing nervously off the concrete walls. "Use your tactical lights. He can't hide forever!"
Three bright, blinding beams of white light pierced the darkness, sweeping erratically across the parked luxury cars and concrete columns. Luca watched them from a crouched position behind a Mercedes sedan. There were four men in total, including Marcus.
"You always were a coward, Marcus," Luca’s deep, resonant voice suddenly echoed from the far left corner of the garage, throwing his voice to confuse his hunters. "Sending your men to die first while you hide in the back."
"Shut up and find him!" Marcus yelled, his silhouette visible near the exit ramp.
One of the armed men swept his flashlight toward the corner where Luca’s voice had originated, stepping carelessly out of cover.
It was a fatal mistake.
Luca rose silently from the shadows on the man's immediate right. The mafia boss didn't hesitate. He raised his suppressed handgun and fired twice. Thwip. Thwip.
The armed man collapsed to the concrete floor with a heavy thud, his flashlight rolling away and casting crazy, spinning shadows across the ceiling.
"He's on the right!" another guard shouted, wildly firing an unsuppressed automatic weapon into the dark. The deafening, explosive roar of gunfire shattered the quiet, the bright yellow muzzle flashes illuminating the garage in strobe-like bursts.
Bullets chewed into the concrete pillars, sending razor-sharp fragments flying through the air. Hannah screamed silently, curling her plus-sized body completely over Sophia to protect her from the ricochets.
Luca didn't flinch at the gunfire. He used the muzzle flashes to pinpoint the second shooter. In a swift, cinematic motion, Luca vaulted over the hood of the Mercedes, closing the distance terrifyingly fast. Before the second shooter could adjust his aim, Luca fired a single, precise shot. The gunfire ceased instantly as the second body hit the floor.
"Damn it! Fall back to the ramp!" Marcus screamed, pure panic replacing his earlier arrogance. The realization that he was locked in a dark room with the most dangerous man in Chicago finally sank in.
Luca advanced relentlessly, his piercing, intense eyes locked onto Marcus's retreating shadow. "You can't run, Marcus. You opened the door to my nursery. You let them touch my family. I am going to make you beg for hell."
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The third guard panicked, turning his flashlight directly onto Luca’s towering, muscular frame. For a split second, the exceptionally handsome, terrifying face of Luca Moretti was illuminated, his sharp jawline set in absolute fury.
Luca didn't even break stride. He fired twice, neutralizing the third threat, leaving only Marcus standing alone by the exit ramp. The traitor was entirely out of men, out of luck, and rapidly running out of time.
