Chapter 6 - Blood on the Marble
Vanessa wiped a streak of blood from her cheek and smiled coldly at us.
"You really thought Marcus could hold me in a wine cellar?" she taunted.
I raised my rifle, but she pressed the hot barrel of her gun directly against Lily’s forehead.
"Drop it, Leo, or I paint these beautiful walls with your precious legacy."
My heart stopped completely, and I slowly lowered my weapon to the marble floor.
Natalia whimpered softly, wrapping her arms around her daughter, completely terrified.
"Kick it away," Vanessa ordered, stepping out of the elevator with arrogant confidence.
I kicked the rifle across the hall, leaving myself entirely defenseless.
"What do you actually want, Vanessa?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Your entire empire, your pathetic life, and the absolute destruction of your bloodline."
She raised the heavy gun slightly, aiming it right between my eyes.
"Any last words, darling?"
Suddenly, a small, terrifyingly calm voice broke the heavy silence.
"My daddy doesn't like you," Lily said, glaring up at the blonde assassin.
Vanessa frowned, momentarily distracted by the little girl's eerie, unnatural composure.
In that split second, Natalia raised her hidden Glock and fired perfectly from the hip.
The bullet caught Vanessa in the shoulder, spinning her violently backward into the wall.
I surged forward, tackling the wounded assassin before she could recover her balance.
We hit the floor hard, wrestling viciously for control of her assault rifle.
The epinephrine was rapidly wearing off, and the deadly cold was returning to my limbs.
Vanessa clawed at my eyes, her venomous nails tearing deep into my cheek.
She managed to free one hand and pulled a secondary pistol from her thigh holster.
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Before she could aim it at my chest, a massive shadow loomed right over us.
Marcus brought the heavy butt of his shotgun down on Vanessa’s skull, knocking her completely unconscious.
