Chapter 9
The cleanup of the pool terrace was executed with the chilling, practiced efficiency of a veteran Mafia family. Bodies were wrapped in heavy canvas and loaded into unmarked vans idling in the service driveway. The shattered glass was swept away, and the blood was hosed off the stone tiles, diluting into the manicured grass.
Marcus stood by the old stone wall, watching the process. He had dispatched his remaining guests to their homes with a strict warning of absolute silence. Only his most trusted capos remained on the estate.
"Boss," Dante said, walking up and handing Marcus a freshly lit cigar. "Julian is secured in the lower holding cells. The perimeter is fully locked down. We have eighty men heavily armed on the property lines."
"It won't be enough if the Volkovs are moving with Chicago," Marcus said, taking a slow drag of the cigar. The fragrant smoke curled into the warm summer air. "They will bring heavy artillery. They won't care about collateral damage."
"Then we strike first," Dante suggested, his face grim.
"No," Marcus replied, his volume low and measured. "We fortify. We let them break themselves against our walls. I need to know the exact numbers they are bringing."
Marcus turned and walked back into the estate, moving through the luxurious, air-conditioned halls until he reached his private study. Two massive bodyguards stood outside the reinforced oak doors. They nodded respectfully and stepped aside.
Inside the study, the scene was a sharp contrast to the violence outside. Chloe was sitting on the plush leather sofa, fast asleep, her head resting in Mrs. Higgins's lap. The nanny looked up as Marcus entered, her eyes wide with relief.
Sitting in the heavy leather chair behind the mahogany desk was Maya. A private family doctor was finishing wrapping an IV line around her arm to help rehydrate her.
Marcus walked over to the sofa and gently brushed a curl of dark hair away from Chloe's golden-brown forehead.
"She was so brave," Mrs. Higgins whispered, lightly patting the child's back. "She insisted on waiting for her mother."
"You did perfectly, Mrs. Higgins," Marcus said, his voice softening. "Take her upstairs to the secure nursery. Keep the steel shutters closed."
After the nanny carried the sleeping child out of the room, Marcus walked around the desk and stood beside Maya. The doctor packed up his medical bag, gave a curt nod, and exited the study, leaving the reunited couple entirely alone.
Maya looked up at Marcus. The exhaustion was heavy in her eyes, but she reached out, taking his tattooed hand in hers.
"You handled Julian," Maya stated softly.
"I did," Marcus confirmed. "He sang. It's the Volkov family. They are moving on us tonight."
May you like
Maya’s grip tightened on his hand. She didn't look afraid. She looked incredibly angry.
"Genevieve told me things when she came down to taunt me in the cell," Maya revealed, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "She liked to brag. She told me the Volkovs aren't just sending soldiers. They have an inside man in the local police department. They are going to use a SWAT raid as cover to breach the estate."
