Chapter 1 - The Lion's Den
Anthony Cole's massive hand felt like a steel vice completely crushing my forearm.
I did not care how terrifyingly big he was or how many lethal weapons he carried beneath his expensive tailored suit.
My innocent six-year-old daughter was currently walking into a room where fourteen highly trained armed guards absolutely refused to go.
Ellie's small, worn canvas sneakers made absolutely no sound as she stepped onto the imported Persian rug.
Atlas stood directly over Damen Romano's violently convulsing body, his thick muscles coiled with pure, aggressive tension.
The massive, terrifying dog had a brutal jaw wide enough to snap a grown man's heavy femur completely in half.
Thick strands of saliva dripped slowly from the dog's scarred jowls, though I genuinely did not know if he had bitten anyone yet.
Ellie simply kept walking forward, completely unfazed by the terrifying scene unfolding right in front of her.
She was softly humming that strange, meandering four-note melody she always sang when she was drawing in the laundry room.
Anthony frantically pulled his heavy tactical weapon from his shoulder holster, his massive hands actually shaking for the first time in his long career.
I screamed my daughter's name at the top of my lungs, violently tearing my bruised arm free from Anthony's iron grip.
Ellie stopped walking right in front of the snarling, bloodthirsty beast.
She reached out her tiny, fragile hand directly toward the dog's wet, terrifying muzzle.
Atlas completely stopped growling in an instant.
The massive killer dog let out a pathetic, high-pitched whine and immediately dropped flat onto his belly.
He gently rested his massive, scarred head right on top of Ellie's worn little sneakers.
I fell hard onto my trembling knees beside my daughter, desperately pulling her small body safely behind my own.
Damen Romano slowly looked up at me from the cold hardwood floor, his pale lips heavily stained with toxic white foam.
He forcefully reached out a trembling, freezing hand and gripped the stained fabric of my maid's apron.
His dark, unfocused eyes stared deeply into mine with a sudden, desperate clarity.
He softly whispered a name that was absolutely not mine, but rather the one I had forcefully buried a decade ago to protect myself.
"Caterina, you finally remembered the song," the dying mafia boss choked out painfully.
Before I could even process the absolute shock of his impossible words, Damen's eyes rolled entirely into the back of his head.
Anthony Cole finally rushed into the room, his heavy boots thudding loudly against the expensive wooden floorboards.
He aggressively aimed his heavy pistol directly at my chest, his face completely pale with absolute fury and confusion.
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"Put your hands in the air right now, Mara," Anthony commanded, his voice trembling with barely contained violence.
I raised my shaking hands, desperately shielding Ellie while staring at the cooling cup of poisoned tea I had personally served Damen thirty minutes ago.
