Chapter 7 - The Siege
The council room instantly descended into a warzone. The corrupted capos reached for their hidden weapons, but Leandro’s loyalists were faster. Gunfire cracked through the opulent room, shattering chandeliers and riddling the mahogany table with holes.
Daphne vaulted over the side table, drawing a blade and intercepting a capo lunging toward Estelle. With lethal, practiced efficiency, Daphne parried a strike, drove her elbow into the man’s chest, and sent him crashing into the stained-glass window.
Leandro didn’t hesitate. He vaulted over the dais, chasing Julian Cross through the hidden exit before the heavy steel bulkhead could slide shut.
He slammed his shoulder into the door just as it locked, throwing his entire weight against it until the motorized mechanism groaned and gave way.
Julian was sprinting down the narrow emergency spiral staircase that led to the building's underground escape tunnels. Leandro sprinted after him, his boots pounding frantically against the iron steps, the gap closing with every second.
“You can’t run, Julian!” Leandro shouted, his voice echoing down the stairwell. “The game is over!”
Julian reached the bottom of the stairs, bursting into the subterranean parking garage. He scrambled toward a sleek black sedan idling near the exit, frantically fumbling with his keys.
Before Julian could pull the door open, Leandro slammed into him from behind, tackling him hard onto the concrete floor. The keys flew from Julian’s hand, skittering across the oil-stained pavement.
Julian thrashed wildly, managing to draw a small silver derringer from his ankle holster. He aimed it straight at Leandro’s chest.
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Before Julian could pull the trigger, a sharp crack echoed through the garage. A bullet struck Julian’s wrist, shattering bone and sending the gun clattering uselessly away.
Leandro looked up. Standing at the top of the stairwell, smoking a slender cigarette with absolute calm, was Maribel.
