Chapter 10
The brightly lit room felt suddenly empty as the officers escorted Daniel and Jessica into the hallway. Only Richard remained, flanked by two imposing policemen. He paused at the threshold of the door, refusing to be pushed forward. He turned his head to look at Maya one last time.
The bruises on his face did not diminish the terrifying intensity of his glare.
“You have no idea what you’ve just done, Maya,” Richard said, his voice dropping to a chilling, prophetic whisper. “I was the only thing standing between you and the real monsters in this city. When I am in a cell, you have no protection. They will tear your life apart to get what they paid for.”
“Get moving,” the officer growled, shoving Richard forward and out into the bustling hospital corridor.
The door slowly swung shut, muffling the sounds of the police radios and the commotion outside. The flashing red emergency lights finally clicked off, returning the room to the steady, bright wash of the afternoon sun.
The nurse let out a long, shaky breath and walked over to Maya. “Are you okay? Do you need a doctor to look at that bruise on your face?”
“I’m fine,” Maya repeated, though her legs were shaking so badly she had to grip the edge of the bassinet to remain standing. She looked down at her three beautiful babies, all of whom had finally settled back into a peaceful sleep, oblivious to the war that had just been fought over their existence.
“The police have the file,” the nurse said softly, looking out the window. “But Mr. Vance wasn't lying. If the Sterling Syndicate is involved, this hospital isn't safe for you. We need to transfer you to a secure facility tonight.”
Maya reached up and pulled the oxygen mask completely off her neck, tossing it onto the bed. She looked at her reflection in the glass of the window. She was no longer just a grieving widow. She was a mother who had just declared war on a billionaire and a cartel.
“No secure facility,” Maya said, her eyes hardening with a fierce, unbreakable resolve. “If I hide, they will never stop hunting us.”
“Then what are you going to do?” the nurse asked, terrified.
May you like
Maya looked down at the gold wedding ring on her finger. Her deceased husband had left her one final secret before he died—a locker key hidden in their floorboards.
“I’m going to hunt them first,” Maya whispered.
