Chapter 6 - The Blood Trail
Leo kicked down the door of the warehouse, his shotgun firing before the wood even hit the floor. The sound of gunfire was deafening, but to Leo, it was merely background noise. He moved like a shadow, taking down two guards with lethal precision before they could even raise their weapons.
Marco, his shoulder tightly bandaged but refusing to stay behind, cleared the side rooms. "Boss! Clear!"
Leo stormed into the main room. It was empty, but the scent of sweet gas still hung in the damp air. He approached the iron chair. He saw the cut ropes on the floor.
He closed his eyes, forcing his racing heart to slow down, forcing the instinct of the beast inside him to guide him. He knelt by the table beside the chair. His fingers trailed over the cold metal.
And then, he saw it. A tiny, microscopic glint of pink under the harsh fluorescent light. He touched it. A speck of dried blood, and a tiny shred of platinum.
"She was here," Leo whispered, his voice shaking with a mixture of immense relief and burning fury. "She left this for me."
"Boss," Marco said, holding up a map found on a desk. "There’s a shipping manifest here. Julian Romano has a private cargo vessel docked at Pier 14. It departs in twenty minutes."
Leo stood up, his face hardening into granite. "Call the harbor patrol. Tell them if any ship departs Pier 14, I will sink it myself in the middle of the bay. Marco, get the cars."
As they rushed out, Francesca intercepted them. "Leo, I just got word from the hospital. Mr. Bianchi survived the surgery. He’s stable. He told the nurse to tell Bella that he still expects her to help with the weekend rush."
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Leo paused for a fraction of a second, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "Tell him she’ll be there. And tell him his medical bills are covered for the rest of his life."
He climbed into the armored SUV, his eyes fixed on the distant harbor. “Hang on, Bella,” he thought. “I’m coming.”
