Chapter 2 - INTO THE VORTEX
The world erupted into chaos. Julian’s bodyguards moved with terrifying efficiency, returning fire as dining tables were flipped to create improvised barricades. The sharp smell of cordite replaced the aroma of garlic and seared fish.
I huddled behind a heavy oak pillar, squeezing Leo against my heart. The baby didn't cry. Instead, he hid his small face against my neck, his little arms wrapped securely around me as if he knew I was his anchor in the middle of the storm.
"Flank the left!" one of the attackers shouted.
A masked shooter rounded the pillar, bringing his rifle to bear directly on me and the baby. Fear paralyzed my legs, but before the shooter could squeeze the trigger, Julian appeared like a shadow. He seized the barrel of the rifle, twisted it upward, and brought his heavy fist down on the attacker's collarbone with a sickening crack.
Julian grabbed my wrist, his large, calloused hand encircling my arm. "We move now! To the kitchen exit!"
We sprinted through the kitchen, stepping over overturned pots and spilling olive oil, surrounded by his remaining men. We burst into the alleyway where three black armored SUVs were idling, their doors held open by armed drivers.
Julian pushed me into the back seat of the middle vehicle, sliding in right after me and slamming the heavy door. The bulletproof glass rattled as stray rounds slammed into the exterior, but the driver slammed on the gas, tearing through the alley and onto the rainy main street.
Inside the SUV, the heavy silence returned, broken only by the sound of my ragged breathing and the hum of the engine.
Julian sat across from me, reloading his weapon with practiced ease. Once the magazine clicked into place, he leaned back and looked at me. His eyes swept over my disheveled hair, my stained waitress apron, and his son, who was now fast asleep against my chest.
"You handled yourself well under fire, Mara," he said quietly.
"You pulled me into a war zone!" I shouted, tears finally breaking through my shock. "I have a shift to finish! I have rent to pay! You can't just kidnap me because your baby likes my face!"
"Look at yourself," Julian replied calmly, gesturing toward the rear-view mirror.
I looked. The adrenaline had flushed my cheeks, and without the restaurant's dim lighting, the resemblance was undeniable. I was a living ghost. I was the mirror image of a dead mafia queen.
"The D'Angelo family saw your face back there," Julian said, his tone grim. "They know who you are now. If I drop you back at your apartment, you won't survive the night. They will use you to destroy me, or they will kill you to erase Sophia's line."
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He leaned forward, placing his hand over mine—the dark dragon tattoo brushing against my wrist.
"You're coming to the Vance compound, Mara. Not as a prisoner. As my son's aunt... and the safest woman in this city."
