Chapter 9
The crisp, early morning air was violently disrupted by the sound of wailing sirens echoing across the riverfront.
From the balcony of the Carter estate, Roland stood wrapped in a heavy wool coat, a steaming cup of black coffee in his hand. He watched the distant, billowing columns of thick black smoke rising into the pale blue sky. The smoke was coming directly from the warehouse district where the Hayes family operated their most lucrative, illegal underground casinos.
Emily stepped out onto the balcony, wrapping a thick cashmere shawl tightly around her shoulders against the morning chill. She looked at her father, then followed his gaze to the rising smoke across the city.
"Is that them?" Emily asked softly, her voice barely carrying over the morning wind.
"That is their primary counting house," Roland confirmed, taking a slow sip of his coffee. "By the time the fire department puts it out, they will have lost nearly ten million dollars in untraceable cash, and the police will be crawling all over their illicit operations."
"Was anyone hurt?" Emily asked, a flicker of apprehension in her eyes. Despite everything Michael had done to her, she was not a killer. She did not relish the thought of bloodshed.
"My men followed orders. They cleared the building before setting the charges," Roland assured her, turning to look at his daughter. "This was just a message. A financial amputation to show them that I can reach out and touch anything they own, whenever I want."
"Michael won't just surrender, Dad," Emily warned, shivering slightly in the cool air. "He's arrogant. He'll think he has to retaliate to save face with his uncle and the rest of his family."
"I am counting on it," Roland smiled, a cold, predatory expression that completely transformed his fair, rosy features into a mask of pure intimidation. "Arrogant men make mistakes when they are backed into a corner. They act on emotion, not strategy."
"What happens next?" she asked.
"Next, we squeeze them," Roland said, turning his attention back to the burning skyline. "We shut down their supply lines. We bribe their union bosses. We make it so toxic to do business with the Hayes family that their own allies abandon them. We will starve them out."
Emily looked at the smoke, feeling a strange, terrifying sense of liberation. For years, she had lived in absolute fear of Michael's temper, walking on eggshells to protect her daughters from his cruelty and his mother's venom. Now, she was watching his empire literally burn to the ground.
"He's going to come for me, Dad," Emily whispered, voicing the darkest fear lurking in her heart. "He's going to try to take Megan and Olivia. He’ll claim I kidnapped them."
Roland reached out, placing a heavy, reassuring hand on Emily’s shoulder. His grip was warm and fiercely protective.
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"Let him try," Roland growled softly. "This estate is a fortress. If Michael Hayes or anyone carrying his name sets foot within a mile of my gates, they will not leave breathing. You are a Carter, Emily. And Carters do not run."
The sun finally crested over the horizon, casting a bright, bloody red glow over the city. The war had officially begun, and Roland was prepared to burn the world to ashes to keep his family safe.
