Chapter 2 - Behind Steel Walls
The bulletproof SUV glided through the rain-slicked streets of Chicago toward the North Shore. Inside, the silence was thick, broken only by the rhythmic, heavy breathing of Nero, who refused to leave Emma’s side. The child had fallen asleep, her thumb tucked into her fist, her head resting on the dog’s massive front paws.
Harper sat stiffly against the leather seat, her arms wrapped around herself. Lorenzo sat across from her, pouring two fingers of amber liquid into a crystal glass. He offered it to her; she ignored it.
"I don't drink with strangers, Mr..."
"Moretti. Lorenzo Moretti," he replied, taking a slow sip. "And you aren't in a position to be overly cautious about hospitality, Harper. Your husband isn't just a cop. He’s on the payroll of the Marcone family. Do you know who they are?"
Harper felt a chill run down her spine. "I know Tyrell brought home unmarked envelopes of cash. I know he had a secondary phone that rang at three in the morning. And I know that when I found the flash drive hidden inside his service jacket, he tried to kill me."
Lorenzo set his glass down with a soft click. "The flash drive. What was on it?"
"Files. Spreadsheets of names, dates, shipping manifests... and an encrypted list titled Operation Blacklight," Harper said, her voice shaking. "I didn't understand most of it, but I saw photos. Photos of high-ranking police officials, judges, and... you."
Lorenzo’s posture stiffened. For a fraction of a second, the cold mask slipped, revealing a flash of genuine surprise. "He has the Blacklight ledger? That ledger destroyed my family ten years ago. It’s the reason my wife is dead and why I’ve been hunting the mole inside the department for a decade."
The SUV pulled through a massive iron gate, entering a secluded estate surrounded by twenty-foot stone walls and state-of-the-art security cameras. The gates hissed shut behind them like the doors of a vault.
"You're safe here," Lorenzo said, opening his door. "For tonight. But tomorrow, the hunt begins. Tyrell knows you have the drive, and now he knows you’re with me. He won't just use the law to find you—he’ll use the mob."
May you like
As they stepped into the foyer of the estate, Emma stirred. She opened her eyes, looked up at the vaulted ceilings, and then down at Nero. For the first time in eight months, a faint, fragile smile touched the girl's lips. She reached up and stroked Nero’s ears.
"She likes him," Lorenzo observed softly, his voice losing its harsh edge for a brief moment. "Nero doesn't like anyone. He remembers trauma. He recognizes a survivor."
