Chapter 9 - Blood on the Ivory
The safehouse was a secluded cliffside estate overlooking the stormy waters of the Atlantic Ocean,
fortified by high electronic fences and dozens of heavily armed guards.
Inside the private library,
the fire crackled warmly in the stone fireplace,
casting a cozy light over the dark leather couches.
The brass ledger cylinder lay open on the central wooden table.
Inside were dozens of micro-films,
signed deeds,
and recorded transcripts detailing forty years of high-level government corruption,
smuggling routes,
and political assassinations orchestrate by the Sovereign Circle.
"This is enough evidence to arrest half the state senate,"
Cassian said,
his long fingers sifting through the detailed documents.
"Including Lord Sterling."
"We send this directly to the federal prosecutor in Washington,"
I suggested,
sitting beside him on the leather couch while sipping hot chamomile tea.
"Local authorities are too compromised,"
they would destroy it before it reaches a judge.
"Agreed,"
Cassian said,
looking at me with a soft,
warm smile.
"You think like an underworld boss already,
Elena."
"I learned from the best,"
I teased,
a gentle blush touching my cheeks.
Suddenly,
the heavy glass window behind us shattered inward with a deafening CRASH!
A high-powered rifle bullet tore through the air,
missing my head by mere inches and embedding itself deep into the wooden wall.
"SNIPER!"
Cassian roared,
his instincts reacting faster than thought.
He threw his body over mine,
tackling me off the couch and shielding my frame with his own heavy body as a second bullet whistled through the room.
A sharp,
gasping grunt escaped Cassian's lips as the second bullet grazed his shoulder,
tearing through his coat and shirt.
Dark red blood instantly began soaking through the fabric,
staining the hardwood floor beneath us.
"Cassian!"
I screamed in pure horror,
clutching at his shoulder as he pushed us behind the heavy oak desk for cover.
"I'm fine,"
he growled through gritted teeth,
his face turning pale from the sudden shock of the wound.
"It's just a flesh wound."
Heavy gunfire erupted outside the estate as Cassian's perimeter guards engaged the invading mercenary team.
The door to the library slammed open,
and Marcus,
Cassian's chief lieutenant,
ran into the room with his rifle raised.
"Boss!"
Marcus yelled over the deafening gunfire outside.
"They breached the lower gate!"
"It's a full-scale assault by Sterling's personal strike force!"
"They came to destroy the ledger!"
Cassian tried to stand up,
but the blood loss made him sway unsteadily on his feet.
I grabbed his arms,
forcing him back down against the solid desk.
"You stay down!"
I commanded,
my voice taking on a fierce,
unyielding authority that made even Marcus freeze in surprise.
"Elena,
no—"
Cassian protested,
reaching for his gun.
"Marcus!"
I shouted,
my eyes blazing with absolute fury.
"Hand me that submachine gun on the rack!"
Marcus hesitated for half a second,
looking between his bleeding boss and me.
"Give it to her,
you idiot!"
Cassian barked,
a look of fierce pride crossing his bloodied face despite his pain.
Marcus quickly grabbed the tactical submachine gun from the wall display and tossed it to me.
I caught the weapon smoothly,
checking the magazine indicator just like my father had taught me when he worked as an armorer during his military service.
"They came into my home,"
I whispered,
my heart hardening into pure,
unbreakable steel.
"They shot my husband."
"And now,"
they are going to pay for it.
I stepped out from behind the desk,
my dark velvet gown sweeping across the blood-stained floor as I raised the weapon toward the main hallway.
Three heavily armed mercenaries rushed through the shattered doorway,
their rifles raised.
I didn't hesitate for a single second.
I pulled the trigger,
sending a controlled burst of gunfire sweeping across the corridor.
The bullets struck the mercenaries with lethal precision,
dropping them instantly to the floor.
I walked forward,
my high heels clicking against the glass-strewn floor,
firing continuous,
suppressive bursts down the stairwell until the surviving mercenaries turned and fled back toward the gates in total panic.
"Clear!"
I shouted down the hallway,
my voice echoing with absolute dominance.
When I walked back into the library,
Marcus was staring at me with wide,
terrified eyes,
as if he were looking at a goddess of war.
Cassian lay propped against the desk,
clutching his bleeding shoulder,
a breathless,
captivated laugh escaping his lips.
"My God,"
Cassian whispered,
his dark eyes locking onto mine with intoxicating, unyielding love.
May you like
"I didn't just marry a pianist."
"I married a warlord."
