Chapter 2 - The Glass CageGabriel pulled Emily down just as a high-caliber round shattered the pavement where she had stood a fraction of a second before. Water and pulverised asphalt erupted like fireworks. Vance slammed the heavy SUV door shut, and the six-vehicle convoy roared into motion, tires screaming against the wet asphalt.
Inside, Leo clung to Emily’s apron, his small shoulders trembling. Emily’s heart hammered against her ribs so hard she could barely breathe.
"Who is shooting at us?!" she gasped, clutching Leo tightly.
"The Vanguard Syndicate," Gabriel said, pulling a silver cigarette case from his jacket, though he didn't light one. "They’ve controlled the city’s shipping lanes for thirty years. My empire took those lanes three months ago. They couldn't hit me, so they targeted Leo. But they couldn't breach my firewalls without an organic entry point."
"My mother..." Emily whispered, realization striking her like a physical blow. "My mother’s hospital bill..."
"Was manipulated," Gabriel said coldly. "They inflated her debt, waited for someone to clear it, and used the wire transfer protocol to inject a tracking worm into my system. Whoever framed you knows my rules. They knew I would pay off the debt of anyone who saved my son."
The convoy pulled into an underground bunker beneath a ninety-story glass skyscraper in Midtown. Heavy blast doors sealed behind them with a deafening hydraulic thud.
Emily was escorted up a private elevator into a penthouse that looked more like a fortified fortress than a residence. Floor-to-ceiling bulletproof glass overlooked the glittering, rain-soaked grid of Manhattan.
"You will stay here," Gabriel instructed, taking off his wet overcoat. "My team is sweeping your mother’s hospital room right now. She is being moved to a safe location."
"I don't belong in your war!" Emily yelled, her fear turning into raw anger. "I'm a waitress! I make seven dollars an hour plus tips! I don't know anything about shipping lanes or wire transfers!"
Gabriel walked up to her, stopping mere inches away. Up close, she could see a faint silver scar running from his jawline down beneath his collar.
"You became part of this war the moment you chose mercy over self-preservation," Gabriel said softly, his voice dangerously intimate. "In New York, mercy is the most expensive thing you can buy. And right now, Miss Carter, you are holding the receipt."
Vance walked into the room, holding a encrypted tablet. His expression was grim.
"Mr. Mercer," Vance said quietly. "We traced the IP address that authorized the hit on Thomas and the shutdown of Leo's tracker. It didn't come from the Vanguard Syndicate."
May you like
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. "Speak."
"It came from inside this building. From your brother's office."
