Chapter 14 - Interrogation on the Terrace
Before Raymond could slump to the floor, I grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and hauled him upright, pressing the cold barrel of my gun directly under his chin.
"You've got good reflexes, Julian," Raymond choked out, blood beginning to seep through his gray suit jacket, staining the wool a dark, wet crimson. "I'll give you that."
"Why, Raymond?" I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper, vibrating with a fury so intense it made my teeth ache. "I trusted you with my life. I gave your family medical coverage when your wife was sick. Why sell out to my brother?"
Raymond let out a wet, gravelly laugh, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. "Loyalty? Loyalty is for soldiers, Julian. Vincent offered something better. He offered a partnership in the new syndicate—the one that wasn't shackled by your old-fashioned code of honor. You got soft after Elena died. You stopped expanding. You started caring about schools and charities and domestic peace."
"And Chloe?" I pressed the barrel harder against his skin. "Was my daughter part of your 'business expansion'?"
"Chloe was leverage," Raymond spat, his eyes wild and defiant. "Nothing more. Vincent needed a foolproof succession plan, and I provided the security blind spots that let his men slip into the nursery two years ago. If you want to shoot me, go ahead. But killing me won't stop what's already in motion."
"What's in motion?" I demanded.
Before Raymond could answer, a sudden, sharp explosion echoed from the front gates of the estate, followed by the rapid rattle of automatic gunfire.
Through the trees near the main entrance, a column of thick black smoke began to billow into the morning sky.
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Marcus came sprinting around the corner of the manor, his assault rifle raised, his face slick with sweat.
"Boss! We're hit! Front gate is breached! A full tactical strike team just rolled through the security perimeter!"
