CHAPTER 16 — The Shadow Over the Botanical Garden
CHAPTER 16 — The Shadow Over the Botanical Garden
The autumn breeze rustled through the golden canopy of the Chicago botanical gardens, carrying the crisp scent of damp earth and falling leaves.
Five years of absolute peace had not dulled Vincent Moretti’s instincts, forged in the brutal alleys of the city’s underworld.
Even as he stood yards away, watching Claire and his son Leo laugh by the marble fountain, his eyes scanned the perimeter with razor-sharp precision.
He noticed the black luxury sedan idling illegally near the side service gate, its tinted windows refusing to roll down despite the autumn chill.
A cold prickle of adrenaline washed down the back of Vincent’s neck.
He had stepped down from the syndicate throne, dismantled the weapon-smuggling divisions, and turned Moretti Logistics into a clean, legitimate shipping conglomerate.
Yet, enemies forged in blood do not simply vanish because a mob boss decides to play the reformed citizen.
Leo suddenly dropped his toy wooden sailboat onto the stone pathway, the small toy rolling toward the edge of the grass near the tree line.
Daddy! Leo squealed happily, looking across the fountain toward Vincent.
Can you get my boat?
Vincent’s heart leaped into his throat, his dark eyes instantly locking onto the idling black sedan as its passenger-side door clicked open an inch.
He didn't hesitate.
Moving with the explosive speed of a striking predator, Vincent closed the distance between them in seconds, scooping Leo up into his strong arms and pulling him flush against his chest.
Get down! Vincent roared, his voice dropping into a terrifying syndicate command.
A muffled crack echoed through the quiet park garden, followed by the terrifying whine of a high-powered rifle bullet shattering the stone rim of the fountain inches from where Claire stood frozen in horror.
Panic erupted instantly among the surrounding tourists and families, screams echoing off the glass pavilion walls as people scrambled for cover behind marble benches and dense hedges.
Claire dropped her designer tote bag, her face turning chalk white as she watched Vincent shield their son with his own massive body.
Vincent! she screamed, her voice tearing through the chaotic noise of the courtyard.
Stay back, Claire! Vincent barked back over his shoulder, his hand sweeping inside his tailored wool coat to draw a heavy-caliber Sig Sauer pistol he hadn’t carried in over three years.
May you like
He pushed Claire and Leo behind the reinforced concrete base of the historical monument, his dark eyes blazing with cold, merciless fury.
The war he thought he had buried forever had just found his doorstep, and this time, they were targeting his blood.
