Chapter 7 - THE CRANE'S DESCENT"Marco, now!" Dante screamed.
Marco burst onto the upper control platform of the crane, lunging across the wet metal grating toward Elena. But Elena was faster than she looked. With a fluid, acrobatic twist, she sidestepped Marco’s tackle, sending him skidding dangerously close to the open drop-off.
At the same time, her hand jerked the heavy industrial lever downward.
With a deafening screech of stressed metal, the cable holding the bassinet began to rapidly unspool, plunging the infant carrier faster and faster toward the churning black water below.
"No!" Dante sprinted across the pier, ignoring the driving rain and the biting wind. He didn't care about the syndicate, the docks, or the Vane blood feud. All he saw was his son.
He vaulted onto the lower maintenance tracks just as the bassinet slammed down onto the wooden slats of a nearby cargo pallet with a terrifying thud.
Dante threw himself over the wicker carrier, tearing away the wet blankets.
Inside, swaddled in thick wool and blinking sleepily against the harsh glare of the dock lights, was Leo. Safe. Unharmed.
Dante pulled the infant fiercely against his chest, burying his face in the baby's blanket as a tidal wave of relief washed over him. But the relief lasted only a fraction of a second before a sharp, metallic click echoed behind him.
He turned slowly.
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Elena stood at the base of the crane, pointing a heavy-caliber revolver straight at his chest. Her hands were steady, her expression completely devoid of mercy.
"The boy is safe, Dante," she said softly, a single tear mixing with the rain on her cheek. "Just like my brother wasn't. Now... let's see how your empire feels without a king."
