Chapter 12 - The convoy through the dark
Three black armored SUVs barreled north through the blinding sheets of rain, carving a path along the desolate Merritt Parkway. Inside the lead vehicle, silence hung thick and lethal.
Elena sat in the back between Lorenzo and the reinforced window. She wore an oversized black tactical jacket over the ballistic vest Marcus had strapped across her chest. In her hands, she clutched a soft baby blanket she had taken from Leo’s nursery—a blanket she had carried for comfort during the endless hours she spent keeping Lorenzo’s son alive.
Lorenzo checked the slide on his custom Kimber .45, the sharp metallic snap filling the cabin. Across from them, Marcus was loading drum magazines for a suppressed submachine gun.
"Listen to me carefully," Lorenzo said, leaning toward Elena so his voice didn't carry past the partition. "When we hit the gate, there will be gunfire. You do not step out of this vehicle until Marcus and I clear the ground floor."
"I am not afraid of gunfire," Elena said quietly, staring straight ahead at the rhythmic sweep of the windshield wipers. "I spent three years working trauma triage before I had my baby. I've seen men split open on gurneys. The only thing I fear on this earth is being ten seconds too late."
Lorenzo reached out and covered her trembling hand with his own. His fingers were calloused, scarred from a decade of mob warfare, but the touch was surprisingly gentle. "You won't be late. I swore an oath to you, Elena. You saved Leo’s life. My life belongs to that debt. Tonight, we settle it."
Elena looked down at their joined hands. A strange, intoxicating heat spread through her veins despite the freezing rain outside. Lorenzo Rossi was a monster to the rest of the world—a ruthless kingpin feared by law enforcement and criminals alike. But to her, in this dark, speeding fortress of steel, he was the only shield standing between her shattered past and the daughter she never got to hold.
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"Boss," the driver said, his voice tense through the comms. "One mile out. Estate is dark. Thermal imaging from our drone shows three heat signatures on the perimeter, two on the second floor, and one in the rear master bedroom."
"No survivors among the guards," Lorenzo said coldly, his eyes turning to absolute ice. "Take the gates at full speed."
