Chapter 16 - THE HIDDEN BLADEWith a sudden burst of adrenaline, Vanessa whipped her hand out of her pocket, gripping a small, snub-nosed revolver.
"Stay back!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the corrugated metal walls. "I won't let you ruin me! I'll take everything, just like you took everything from Ryan!"
Before she could level the barrel toward me, Luca moved with terrifying speed.
In less than a second, he closed the distance between them, slamming his forearm against her wrist with brutal efficiency. The revolver flew from her grip, clattering across the concrete and sliding into the darkness beneath a stack of pallets.
Luca pinned Vanessa against the steel frame of the safe, his hand locked firmly around her arm.
"Don't ever," Luca whispered, his voice dark and lethal, "point a weapon at her again."
Vanessa sobbed, collapsing against the cold metal as the fight completely drained out of her. "I just wanted out... I just wanted to be safe..."
I walked over, picked up the small flash drive that had slipped from her coat during the scuffle, and slipped it into my pocket.
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"You'll be safe, Vanessa," I said quietly, looking down at her with a mix of pity and absolute detachment. "In a federal holding cell, where no one can reach you."
I signaled to our security detail waiting outside. Two guards rushed into the warehouse, securing Vanessa and hauling her away without a word.
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