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"WHO OWNS THE RUNAWAY BRIDE?" THE ENTIRE EAST COAST UNDERWORLD TREMBLED AS PHILADELPHIA'S MOST RUTHLESS MAFIA DON DISCOVERED HIS ARCH-RIVAL'S DAUGHTER BLEEDING ON THE FLOORBOARD OF HIS LIMOUSINE—AND DECLARED AN ALL-OUT WAR TO KEEP HER! / Chapter 2 / 10

Chapter 2 - The Scent of a Prey

Veronica raised her head, her chin trembling but her eyes flashing with a sudden, desperate defiance. The veil had fallen away, leaving her dark, damp hair framing her face like a shadow.

"If you throw me out," she whispered, her voice raw, "you will be doing my father's work for him. I thought Austo Castillion didn't take orders from the Belluccis."

A slow, highly dangerous smile spread across Austo's face. He leaned back, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass. "I don't. But I also do not harbor runaways without a very good return on my investment. What makes you think you are worth the trouble of a turf war, Veronica?"

"I know where the shipping manifests are," she said, the lie slipping past her lips before she could stop it. It was her only leverage. Her father had kept a black ledger in his study—she had seen it, though she didn't know the codes. "The ones for the northern docks. The ones you've been trying to seize for three years."

Austo’s eyes narrowed, the warmth instantly draining from his expression. The amusement was gone, replaced by the calculating coldness of a predator.

"If you are lying to me, little bird," he said, leaning down so close she could feel the heat radiating from his chest, "the wedding dress will be the least of your worries. I do not tolerate thieves, and I despise liars."

Before she could answer, a loud, violent thud shook the passenger side window.

"Veronica! I know you're in there!"

Olindo’s voice screamed through the heavy rain. Outside, three black SUVs had boxed the limousine against the curb. Olindo stood in the pouring rain, his hair plastered to his forehead, his face red with rage and whiskey, a heavy silver pistol gripped in his right hand.

"Open the door, Castillion!" Olindo roared, tapping the muzzle of the gun against the bulletproof glass. "That is my property! You have no right to her!"

Inside the car, Veronica shrank back against the leather seat, her eyes wide with terror.

Austo didn't even look at the window. He slowly lifted his glass, took a sip of his Scotch, and met Veronica's panicked gaze.

"Do you want to go back to him?" he asked quietly.

"No," she gasped, her hand instinctively reaching out and grabbing his lapel. "Please. I'd rather you shoot me right here."

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Dr. Mercer looked down at the ultrasound monitor, her fingers moving with practiced ease over the trackball. The quiet hum of the machine filled the room, punctuated only by the rhythmic, heavy breathing of Dorian Cross standing near the door. He hadn't sat down once. His tall frame cast a long, imposing shadow across the sterile room, hand resting near the button of his suit jacket—a posture born of years of constant vigilance.

Dr. Mercer looked down at the ultrasound monitor, her fingers moving wit...

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut through the rainy night like a knife. I didn't wait for them. I held Arianne against my chest, feeling the terrifyingly erratic rhythm of her pulse, and bolted down the grand mahogany staircase.

The ambulance siren wailed in the distance, a rising shriek that cut thr...

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expensive cologne, manufactured corporate harmony, and betrayal. As I stepped back onto the sun-baked tarmac of the private aviation terminal, the stifling afternoon heat hit me like a physical blow. Behind the thick, tinted glass of the jet's windows, I could see Carter’s silhouette—his jaw set in that familiar, arrogant angle of a man who believed he had just successfully disciplined a disobedient pet.

The heavy cabin door hissed shut behind me, sealing in the scent of expe...

Austo looked down at her small, trembling hand on his expensive wool coat. Something shifted in his dark eyes—a sudden, protective fire that lit up the shadows of the vehicle.

"Tobia," Austo said, his voice flat and deadly. "Ram them."

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