Chapter 12 - Shadows on the Horizon
Two months passed before the fragile peace of the new empire was tested.
Nina had restructured the syndicate, transforming the brutal trafficking rings into a clean, impenetrable logistics network. No more kidnapped pets. No more sloppy hits. If the underworld was going to exist, it would operate under her rules.
She stood on the floor-to-ceiling glass terrace of the penthouse, watching the rain glitter against the Manhattan skyline.
"Boss," an operative called out, bursting onto the terrace. "We have a problem at the international terminal. A high-value package just landed from Europe. It's marked for the Italian remnants, but... the security codes match an old federal intelligence directive."
Nina turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. "Federal?"
"Not just federal," a smooth, unfamiliar voice echoed from the private elevator lobby behind them.
Nina spun around, her hand dropping instantly to the customized Glock at her waist.
Stepping out of the elevator was a woman in a sharp, slate-grey trench coat, flanked by two armed federal agents. Her hair was pulled back into a severe knot, and her eyes held the cold, calculating look of someone who had spent decades playing chess with ghosts.
"Agent Vance, Federal Bureau of Investigation," the woman said, flashing a silver badge before slipping it back into her coat. "Or, if we're being entirely honest, the woman who authorized your father's protection detail six years ago."
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Nina’s heart stopped. The room temperature plummeted.
Grimm stepped forward, his body lowering, teeth bared in a silent, murderous snarl as he recognized the face of the past he thought he had buried forever.
