Chapter 5 - The Safe House
The black SUV vanished around the corner in a matter of seconds, leaving behind only the faint scent of burning rubber and exhaust fumes. Gemma remained rooted behind the oak tree, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Had they just... kidnapped him?
The terrifying reality of who Vincent Moretti was crashed down upon her. This wasn't a knight in shining armor coming to her rescue out of the goodness of his heart. This was a kingpin, a merciless operator who dealt in absolute power and swift, unquestionable retribution. Trent was a monster, yes—he deserved every ounce of fear he was feeling right now—but the sheer efficiency with which he had just vanished into the night terrified Gemma to her core.
She took a cautious step forward from the shadows of the tree, her eyes scanning the empty street. The black BMW was still parked haphazardly against the curb, its engine ticking as it cooled in the autumn air.
Before she could decide whether to approach her building or run in the opposite direction, the rear door of another unmarked sedan idling quietly across the street clicked open.
A tall man with a severe military haircut and a heavy scar running down his jawline stepped out. It was Marcus, Vincent Moretti’s head of security. He moved with a quiet, menacing grace, closing the distance between them before Gemma could even turn to flee.
"Miss Hayes?" Marcus asked, his voice low and gravelly, yet entirely devoid of malice.
Gemma backed away a step, her hands raised defensively. "I... I didn't see anything. I don't know anything. Please just let me go."
Marcus held up his hands, palms open, stopping her retreat. "Relax, miss. We're not here to hurt you. Boss wants to make sure you're safe tonight. That piece of trash won't be coming back to this apartment. Ever."
"Where... where did you take him?" Gemma asked, her voice trembling.
"Let's just say he's taking a very long, very educational bus ride out of state," Marcus said with a faint, grim smirk. "He's going to spend the next few years rethinking his life choices in a place where nobody knows his name."
Marcus gestured toward the open door of the sedan. "Get in, Miss Hayes. You can't stay here tonight. Too many memories, too many loose ends. The Boss has prepared a place for you to rest."
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Gemma looked from the open car door back toward her dark apartment building. Everything she owned was inside, but standing out here in the freezing cold, with no keys, no money, and the phantom echoes of Trent's threats still ringing in her ears, she realized she had nothing left to lose.
She slid into the warm, leather-lined interior of the car. The door clicked shut, sealing her fate in a world she never knew existed.
