Chapter 14 - The Port of No Return
The revelation that the estate’s communications were about to be compromised forced Ronan to act aggressively. He realized that waiting for Viktor to strike was a losing strategy. They needed to hit the Russians where it hurt most—their financial lifeline at the Chicago shipping docks, which Viktor was using to smuggle illegal weapons and grease the palms of corrupt city officials.
"I’m going with you," Ethan said as they strapped on tactical vests in the armory.
"No," Ronan countered, checking the magazine of his sidearm. "You stay here with Marcus. The jammer is neutralized, but Viktor might still try a diversionary attack on the estate. Protect Seraphina and the kids with your life."
Seraphina walked into the armory, holding the gold key to the Maine house in her hand. She walked up to Ronan, slipping the key into his vest pocket, right over his heart. "Bring this back to me. Don't let him take our future away before it even begins."
Ronan caught her face in his hands, pressing a deep, desperate kiss to her lips. "I’ll destroy the world before I let anyone take you from me, Seraphina. Trust me."
Midnight at the Chicago port was dark, cold, and thick with fog. Ronan, accompanied by a small, elite team of loyal operators, navigated the labyrinth of towering steel shipping containers. The scent of diesel oil and stagnant water hung heavy in the air.
They located the primary warehouse controlled by the Ivanov front company. Inside, men were actively loading wooden crates onto unmarked trucks. Ronan signaled his men to move in, but before they could breach the doors, the entire area was illuminated by powerful floodlights.
"Did you really think it would be that easy, Ronan?" Viktor Ivanov’s voice echoed from a catwalk above. He stood surrounded by a dozen heavily armed mercenaries. Beside him, tied to a chair with a bloody cloth over her head, was Clara—Seraphina’s childhood friend.
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"You like saving helpless women, don't you, Vale?" Viktor sneered, pulling the cloth off Clara’s face. She screamed through her gag, her eyes wide with terror. "Let’s see if you can save this one while your own house burns to the ground."
Ronan’s phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a security alert from the estate. The diversion wasn't the port; the port was the trap to draw Ronan away, while the real army was hitting the Vale estate where Seraphina and the children were completely exposed.
