Chapter 8 - THE RECKONINGBy sunrise, the news had spread through the criminal underworld like wildfire: The boy spoke.
And it wasn't a high-priced specialist, a politician, or a high-society doctor who unlocked his voice. It was a battered, exhausted young waitress working as a live-in maid.
Ray Maddox sat in his South Side hideout, sweating profusely as he watched the news reports flash across the television screen.
“She did it,” Ray muttered in sheer panic. “The bitch actually did it. She’s going to marry Damian Mercer. When Mercer finds out I’m her ex-husband and the one who sent those thugs to his house last night... he’s going to feed me to the piranhas.”
“Not if we move first,” Vinnie Rossi snarled, slamming a fist on the table. “We hit them before the wedding. We take her hostage, leverage Mercer for half his empire, and get clean out of the country.”
That evening, as twilight fell over Mercer House, a sleek black town car pulled up to the iron gates.
Inside the mansion, Elena stood in front of a tall mirror in the master suite. She wore a simple, elegant ivory dress that Mrs. Whitmore had hastily arranged. Her bruises were covered with makeup, but her eyes held a quiet, resolute strength.
The door opened, and Damian stepped inside. He was dressed in a sharp black tuxedo, looking every bit the ruthless crime lord, but his expression was entirely softened as he looked at her.
“The wedding is scheduled for midnight,” Damian said quietly, stopping a few feet away. “In the grand ballroom. Just a handful of witnesses. Vincent, Mrs. Whitmore, and... Noah.”
Elena turned to face him. “You don't have to honor the contract, Mr. Mercer. You got your son back. That’s all that matters.”
Damian stepped closer, taking her small hand in his massive, warm palm.
“On the night I made that promise, I swore I would give half my fortune and my name to whoever brought my son back to life,” Damian said, his voice deep and unyielding. “I don't break my vows, Elena. Especially not to the woman who put the light back in my house.”
May you like
Before Elena could reply, a violent crash echoed from the front courtyard.
Alarms wailed. Heavy automatic gunfire erupted against the reinforced glass of the grand foyer.
