Chapter 6 - A Shield of Flesh and Blood
Claire refused to scream. Even with the cold steel of death staring her in the face, the pride of the Bennett bloodline kept her chin high. ""Touch me, Vancini, and my grandfather will burn Detroit to ashes. There is no hole on earth you will be able to hide in.""
""Your grandfather is an old man with one foot in the grave,"" Vancini laughed, stepping closer. ""Once I have your signature transferring the harbor leases, you'll be sleeping at the bottom of Lake Michigan, right alongside your ex-husband's legacy.""
He raised the weapon, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Suddenly, the deafening roar of a modified V8 engine tore through the rain. A black armored Mercedes smashed through the plaza's perimeter gates, hurtling directly at Vancini’s men.
""Look out!"" someone screamed.
The Mercedes slammed into one of the vans, crushing two gunmen against the concrete wall. The driver's door flew open before the vehicle even came to a complete stop.
Alexander leapt out into the downpour.
His eyes were wild, consumed by a terrifying, unholy fury. In a split second, he raised both pistols, firing with lethal precision. Three of Vancini's men dropped to the wet asphalt before they could swing their weapons.
""Claire, get behind the car!"" Alexander roared, charging into the open crossfire.
Bullets sparked off the pavement and tore through the Mercedes's windows. Claire dove behind the reinforced wheel well, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. She looked through the shattered glass and saw Alexander moving like a berserker, completely disregarding his own life.
He didn't take cover. He stood as a human shield between the gunfire and the car where she was hiding.
""Kill him! Kill Moretti!"" Vancini shouted, retreating toward the second van while firing his revolver wildly.
Alexander took down two more shooters, but the relentless spray of bullets caught him. A round ripped through his left shoulder, spinning him around. Another struck his side, tearing through his dark wool coat. Crimson bloomed across his chest, vivid and terrifying against his white shirt.
Claire’s breath hitched in her throat. ""Alexander!""
The scream left her lips instinctively, ripped from a place in her soul she thought had burned to ash months ago.
Alexander didn't fall. Gritting his teeth through blinding agony, he raised his right weapon and fired three consecutive rounds into Vancini’s driver, disabling the getaway vehicle. Vancini stumbled into the street, clutching a shattered shoulder as Moretti’s reinforcements—led by Marco with five carloads of heavily armed syndicate soldiers—slammed into the plaza, surrounding the remaining attackers within seconds.
""Drop your weapons! On the ground, now!"" Marco’s voice boomed over the sirens.
The firefight was over.
Vancini was pinned to the concrete, blood gushing from his shoulder, screaming curses into the wet pavement.
Alexander dropped his empty guns. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the rain-soaked asphalt, his blood washing into the storm drains.
Claire scrambled out from behind the car, ignoring the rain soaking her hair, ignoring the shattered glass cutting through her stockings. She fell to her knees beside him, her hands frantically pressing against his bleeding chest.
""Alexander! Look at me! Stay awake!"" she cried, her voice trembling with raw, undisguised terror.
Alexander opened his heavy eyes. Raindrops mixed with sweat and blood dripped down his pale face. But when he saw her hands on his chest, when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks, a faint, broken smile touched his bloody lips.
""You're safe..."" he coughed, a ribbon of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. ""You're okay...""
""You idiot! Why did you do this?"" she sobbed, pressing down harder on the wound in his abdomen, feeling the warmth of his life slipping through her fingers. ""Why didn't you stay behind cover? You could have died!""
Alexander reached up with a trembling, bloodstained hand, gently touching the edge of her wet jaw.
""On the mountain... I left you in the snow,"" he whispered, his voice fading like an autumn breath. ""I let our baby die alone... I swore to God... I would never let you face the cold again... Even if it costs my life... you will live, Claire...""
His hand slipped from her face, falling limp onto the wet asphalt. His eyes rolled back, and his head slumped sideways.
May you like
""Alexander!"" Claire screamed into the gray sky, pulling his limp body into her arms. ""Alexander, don't you dare close your eyes! Don't you dare leave me again! Call an ambulance! Somebody help him!""
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