Chapter 5 - The Ambush At Oak Creek
The rain poured relentlessly over Chicago for three days straight, matching the grim atmosphere inside the penthouse. Adrian had returned bruised and brooding, with cuts across his knuckles and an edge so sharp nobody dared speak to him. The conflict between the Voss empire and the Rossi syndicate was escalating rapidly into an all-out street war.
To give Elisabetta a break from the claustrophobia of the penthouse, Adrian arranged a private visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden's greenhouse in Oak Creek on Friday morning.
""The facility is completely cleared of civilians,"" Adrian told me, adjusting the collar of my trench coat before we walked out to the armored SUV. ""Four guards will flank the perimeter. Marcus will drive. You and Nonna stay in the tropical conservatory. Take two hours, let her see her beloved orchids, and come straight home.""
""Are you coming with us?"" I asked, hating how much I wanted him to say yes.
Adrian shook his head, looking exhausted. ""I have a meeting with the district commissioner. If I don't buy his silence today, federal warrants will hit our shipping docks by midnight. Go. You'll be safe.""
The greenhouse was breathtaking. Stepping inside felt like walking into an equatorial rainforest, warm and humid, with vibrant magenta orchids hanging from towering palms and the soothing sound of an artificial waterfall drowning out the city noise. Elisabetta was thrilled, pointing out rare species and laughing as we snapped photos on her phone.
""You look at my grandson differently now, child,"" Elisabetta said slyly, leaning on my arm.
My cheeks flushed hot. ""I don't know what you mean, Elisabetta. He's my boss.""
""Bah! Boss,"" she snorted playfully. ""Adrian hasn't looked at a woman the way he looks at you in ten years. He carries the sins of his father on his shoulders, Sophie. He thinks he's damned to be a monster forever. But around you... he remembers what it feels like to just be a man.""
Before I could process her words, a muffled thud echoed from the glass entrance behind us.
The ambient music cut out.
Through the dense foliage, I caught a glimpse of Marcus crumpling to the marble floor, a red dart protruding from his neck.
Silent tranquilizers.
My breath caught in my throat. ""Elisabetta, move!""
Three men in tactical black gear and ballistic masks moved swiftly through the ferns, their suppressed submachine guns raised.
""Miss Carter, don't scream,"" a harsh, accented voice barked from behind us. A tall man with slicked silver hair stepped out from the shadow of the waterfall—Giancarlo Rossi himself, flanked by armed mercenaries. ""We aren't here to kill you. Just to borrow Adrian’s favorite relics so he signs over the terminal leases.""
Panic surged through my veins like ice water. I shoved Elisabetta behind me into an alcove behind the dense palm fronds. My fingers flew to my neck, tearing the sapphire pendant free and slamming the hidden distress button with all my strength.
""Take the old lady, tie the girl,"" Giancarlo ordered casually, lighting a thick cigar. ""Adrian will burn down the city to get them back, but by then, the port will belong to me.""
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One of the mercenaries lunged toward Elisabetta. Pure maternal instinct and adrenaline took over. I grabbed a heavy bronze decorative planter from a display stand and swung it with everything I had, slamming it directly into the mercenary's jaw. He grunted, stumbling backward into a glass terrarium that shattered in an explosion of soil and shards.
""Run, Elisabetta!"" I screamed.
