Chapter 4 - The Reckoning at Lake Forest
The air in the medical suite turned electric. Marcus smiled with the confidence of a man holding all the cards, but he had forgotten one fundamental truth: Gabriel Russo was not a businessman playing at crime; he was a predator raised in the shadows of Chicago.
Before the guards could pull their triggers, the heavy double doors behind Marcus slammed shut with a deafening bang.
Dorian Shaw stepped out from behind a decorative curtain in the corner of the room, a silenced pistol already leveled at the back of the first guard’s head. Two quick shots echoed in the enclosed space. The guards collapsed before they could register the threat.
Marcus gasped, spinning around, his hand frantically reaching for his waistband.
Gabriel moved with terrifying speed. He crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, grabbing Marcus by the throat and slamming him violently against the marble wall. The heavy impact knocked the breath out of the CFO, sending his weapon clattering across the floor.
"Did you really think I didn't trace the communications back to your private server the moment we crossed the county line?" Gabriel growled, his grip tightening around Marcus’s neck. "Dorian has been monitoring your encrypted accounts since midnight."
Marcus clawed at Gabriel’s wrists, his face turning purple as he struggled for air. "Gabriel... wait... Bell has men surrounding... the perimeter... you can't get out..."
"I don't need to get out," Gabriel whispered into his ear, his voice icy and terrifyingly calm. "This is my home. And you brought a war to my doorstep."
Clara watched from the bed, her hand resting protectively over her belly. Despite the violence unfold before her, she saw something different in Gabriel’s eyes this time—not the mindless rage of a mob boss, but the fierce, protective instinct of a man defending his family.
Gabriel dropped Marcus to the floor. The CFO crumpled, coughing violently and clutching his bruised throat.
"Dorian, lock him in the cellar," Gabriel commanded without looking back. "If he survives the night, we’ll turn his financial ledgers over to the federal authorities. Let him spend the rest of his life in a maximum-security cell."
"And Bell?" Dorian asked, dragging Marcus up by his collar.
"Bell thinks he's coming to collect a reward," Gabriel said, stooping to pick up his father's ring from the floor. He slipped it back onto his finger, the silver gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. "We're going to give him a reception he'll never forget."
Gabriel turned back to Clara. He walked over to her side, leaning down until his forehead rested gently against hers. "I have to end this tonight, Clara. For you. For our baby. Stay with Dr. Evans. The panic room behind that wall is reinforced with three inches of steel. No one gets through."
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Clara reached up, her small fingers wrapping around his lapel. "Don't die, Gabriel. You owe me eight years of peace to make up for eight months of hell."
A faint, rare smile touched Gabriel’s lips. "I’ll hold you to that."
