Chapter 7 - THE ABANDONED DOCKS
The midnight air at the city docks was freezing and heavy with the salt spray of the ocean. Ancient, rusting shipping containers were stacked three stories high, casting long, menacing shadows across the cracked concrete pier.
I stood beside Lorenzo near the front of a black sedan. I was dressed in a tailored dark coat Lorenzo had provided, my hair pulled back tightly. Beneath my coat, concealed in an inner pocket, was the silver handgun.
Leo was safe, hidden away at a secondary secure location under the guard of twenty elite men who would die before letting anyone touch him.
Footsteps echoed from the darkness between two giant shipping containers.
Julian stepped out into the harsh yellow glow of an overhead streetlamp. He was accompanied by six heavily armed men. Trailing behind them, beaten, bloody, and dragging his feet, was Sam.
"You actually came, Lorenzo," Julian said with a mocking smile, pulling a cigar from his jacket. "And you brought the maid. How romantic. I didn't realize you had a soft spot for the help."
"Where are the rest of your men, Julian?" Lorenzo asked casually, resting his hands in his coat pockets. "I expected a full army from a man trying to claim my seat."
"They are waiting for my signal," Julian replied, lighting his cigar. "Once I have the drive with the account keys, I become the undisputed head of the Rossi family. The capos have already agreed. They don't want a leader whose judgment is clouded by a dead wife and a dying bastard."
Lorenzo’s expression didn't change, but I felt the immense wave of killing intent radiating off him.
"Clara..." Sam croaked out from behind Julian, his swollen eyes pleading with me. "Clara, please! Tell them to give him the money! He’s gonna kill me! Help me, baby!"
I looked at Sam, the man who had terrorized me for three years, the man who had taken my daughter’s future away with a violent push. Looking at him now, crying and shivering in the mud, I felt no fear. I felt only disgust.
"Shut up, Sam," I said coldly.
Sam blinked, stunned by the absolute hatred in my voice.
Julian chuckled softly. "It seems your ex doesn't hold much value to you, Clara. A pity. I thought he would be a better bargaining chip."
"He means nothing to her," Lorenzo stated clearly, taking a step forward. "And you mean nothing to this city, Julian. You are a traitor, and traitors don't get payouts."
Julian’s smile vanished. He raised his hand to signal his gunmen. "Kill them both."
Before his hand could drop, the shadows behind Julian came alive.
Silenced gunshots cut through the air with soft thwip-thwip-thwip sounds.
Three of Julian’s guards dropped instantly, hit precisely in the head by Lorenzo’s hidden snipers positioned high atop the shipping containers.
Panicking, Julian reached for his own gun, but Lorenzo was already moving.
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Lorenzo drew his weapon and fired two rounds, striking Julian in the shoulder and knee. Julian screamed, collapsing onto the cold concrete, dropping his cigar into a puddle.
The remaining guards tried to return fire, and absolute chaos erupted on the docks.
