Chapter 3 - The Hallway ExecutionThe intruder's eyes widened in sheer terror as he realized he had walked straight into a slaughterhouse disguised as a recovery ward. He reached instinctively for the holster at his hip, but he was dead before his fingers even grazed the leather.
Thud-thud.
Two suppressed shots echoed from the hallway outside. The heavy door of the room swung open further, revealing the second intruder slumping against the wall, sliding down into a pool of dark blood on the pristine hospital tiles.
Enzo didn't even blink. He kept his weapon trained on the surviving intruder standing right in front of Rachel.
"Turn around," Enzo commanded softly.
The man trembled, his hands shaking as he slowly raised them in the air. "Wait, wait—we have a contract. We were told Rossi was defenseless—"
"You were lied to," Enzo interrupted.
Before the man could move, Enzo stepped forward with blinding speed, bringing the heavy butt of his shotgun crashing down against the intruder's temple. The man collapsed instantly, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
Enzo lowered the barrel, exhaling a slow, steady breath. He turned his cold, gray eyes toward Rachel, who was standing flat against the wall, her chest heaving as she processed the violence that had just unfolded inches from her.
"Are you hurt?" Enzo asked, his tone surprisingly devoid of threat.
"No," Rachel managed to whisper, swallowing hard. She looked down at the bodies in the hallway. "Who... who were they?"
"Rivals," Enzo said dismissively, walking over to check the pulse of the man on the floor before kicking the dropped pistol away. "The outfit thinks Caleb is weak because he’s lying in a hospital bed. They thought they could sneak in and finish the job while the power was out. They didn't realize we anticipated this exact move."
"This is a hospital!" Rachel snapped, a sudden wave of furious adrenaline overriding her fear. She pushed off the wall and stepped right up to the towering enforcer. "People are recovering here! Innocent nurses, patients, families! You brought a war into a children's ward, Enzo!"
Enzo looked down at her, unimpressed by her outburst. "The war found us, Nurse Hayes. If you hadn't brought Caleb back to life three nights ago, these men wouldn't have had to break in to kill him. So save your lectures."
He tapped his earpiece. "Clean up the hallway. Get these trash bags out of here before the morning shift arrives. And fix the generator."
"Yes, boss," a voice crackled through the tiny speaker.
Enzo turned back to Rachel, his expression softening just a fraction. "Caleb is awake. He heard the commotion. He wants to see you."
Rachel crossed her arms, her jaw set. "Tell Mr. Rossi that his visitors have worn out my hospitality for the evening. I'm going back to the ER."
"You can't go back to the ER," Enzo said quietly, blocking her path to the exit. "Your name is on their manifest now. The men who came here tonight know who saved Caleb. You’re tied to us, Rachel. Whether you want to be or not."
May you like
Rachel stared at him, a cold realization settling deep in her stomach. The life she had known three days ago—the bad coffee, the rattled radiator, the quiet anonymity of an ER nurse—was gone forever. She was standing in the crosshairs of a Chicago mob war.
And the only person keeping her alive was the most dangerous criminal in the city.
