Chapter 6 - Blood on the Iron Gates
At two o'clock in the morning, the estate fell into an eerie, suffocating quiet.
The fog rolled off the Long Island Sound, creeping through the wrought-iron gates of the Vance property like white smoke. Lily was fast asleep in the massive king-sized bed, surrounded by soft pillows, clutching a brand-new teddy bear Gabriel had personally placed in her arms.
I sat by the window in the dark, watching the headlights multiply along the perimeter road.
Gabriel stood beside me, fully dressed in tactical black kevlar, a combat rifle slung across his chest. Marcus entered the room silently, holding a tablet computer.
"Boss," Marcus whispered. "Tech team cracked the drive. It’s worse than we thought. Moretti wasn't just skimming. He sold your shipping routes to the Albanian syndicate. They were planning to hit your primary container ship tomorrow at midnight. Daniel’s notes proved Vanessa was the one who handed over the satellite tracking codes."
Gabriel’s face did not shift. He had moved past anger into a state of chilling, mathematical execution.
"Where is Don Moretti?" Gabriel asked.
"Sitting in an armored Maybach at our front gates with twelve escort SUVs. He just sent a radio transmission: he wants Vanessa released within ten minutes, or his men breach the compound."
Gabriel checked the magazine of his rifle with a crisp, metallic snap. "He thinks because this is my home, I won't turn it into a graveyard."
He turned to me.
"Rachel. Take Lily into the panic room behind the master closet. The steel door is four inches of reinforced titanium. Once it locks, nothing short of an artillery shell can open it from the outside. You stay there until you hear my voice."
"Gabriel, please," I whispered, reaching out to grasp his wrist. His skin was warm, his pulse steady as an anvil. "Daniel died so you could live. Don't throw your life away for revenge."
Gabriel covered my hand with his own. His grip was protective, solid, unbreakable.
"This isn't revenge, Rachel," he said softly, looking toward the sleeping child on the bed. "This is family."
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He turned and strode out the door, Marcus flanking his right.
Seconds later, the silence of the night was shattered by the thunderous boom of breaching charges at the front gates. The war for the Vance empire had begun.
