Chapter 4 - THE BOY IN THE BLUE COAT
Christian stared at the blue crayon letters.
The gunfire around them seemed to mute. He traced the clumsy handwriting with a bloodstained thumb. Max Callahan.
“You told me he died,” Christian whispered, his voice cracking. “Five years ago. You told me the fever took him.”
Vivian coughed, pressing a trembling hand over the wound on her shoulder. “He didn’t die, Christian. I hid him. Your father wanted to take him. He wanted to turn my beautiful boy into a monster, just like him. I couldn’t let that happen. So I faked his death and hid him in the charity ward at St. Jude’s.”
Answer One: Vivian hid their son to protect him from the mafia life, pretending to be a heartless socialite to keep anyone from looking.
“And Romanov found him,” Christian realized, a terrifying, cold rage settling over his features.
“Antoine found him,” Vivian corrected weakly. “He recognized me at the hospital. He sold the information to Leo. Leo took Max yesterday. He said… he said if I didn’t poison you tonight, he would send my son back to me in pieces.”
Open Two: If Antoine kidnapped the boy, where was Max right now?
Sophie pressed her back against the dessert cart, listening to the confession. Her mother was on the fourth floor of St. Jude’s. The pediatric ward was on the third. The pieces of the puzzle clicked together with terrifying clarity.
“Christian!” Romanov yelled from across the room. “Time is up. Toss your gun over the table and sign the territory deeds, or the boy stops breathing tonight.”
Christian looked at Sophie. The ruthless mafia boss was gone. In his place was a father who had just discovered his son was alive, only to realize he was about to lose him again.
“I’ll sign,” Christian called out, his voice hoarse. “Just bring me my son.”
“I don’t have him here,” Romanov laughed. “He’s safe with a friend. Sign first.”
Reversal: Romanov didn’t bring the leverage to the meeting. He was bluffing the timeline.
Sophie felt her phone vibrate again against her hip.
She carefully pulled it from her apron. The unread message wasn't from the billing office. It was from Nurse Davis, her mother’s caretaker at St. Jude’s.
Sophie, I’m so sorry. Dr. Evans just authorized moving your mother out of her room. They brought a terrified little boy in a blue coat into the private wing. Armed men are at the door. I don’t know what to do.
Sophie’s blood ran cold.
Romanov hadn’t hidden the boy in a warehouse. He had hidden him in the one place Vivian wouldn’t dare cause a scene—the very hospital where Max had lived his whole life.
Sophie looked at Christian. She held up her phone screen.
Christian read the text. His eyes widened.
“He’s at St. Jude’s,” Sophie whispered. “My mother’s doctor is helping them.”
Christian checked his weapon. One magazine left. He looked at Antoine’s shoes visible beneath the edge of the bar, then at the heavy brass chandelier hanging directly above the barricaded table.
Christian reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy, silver pocket watch. He pressed it into Sophie’s hand.
“There’s a service elevator behind the wine cellar,” Christian whispered rapidly. “Take this watch. Show it to the men waiting in the black SUV in the alley. Tell them Christian sent you. Have them take you to St. Jude’s. Secure my son.”
“What about you?” Sophie asked, her hands shaking around the cold silver.
Christian looked up at the chandelier support chain.
“I’m going to change the boundaries.”
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He raised his gun, aimed at the ceiling, and fired directly into the heavy iron chain.
TITLE: The Traitor in a White Coat
