Chapter 1 - The Shattered Glass
Roman began to stand.
In that exact moment, the man near the entrance pulled a silenced pistol from his tailored jacket.
Nora did not hesitate for a single second.
She violently swung her heavy silver serving tray, catching the armed man squarely in the jaw.
The sickening crack of bone echoed through the elegant dining room.
Glass shattered everywhere as the assassin crashed backward into a champagne tower.
Screams erupted from the wealthy guests as panic instantly consumed the restaurant.
Roman grabbed the edge of his table and flipped it upward.
The heavy mahogany wood acted as a temporary shield against a sudden hail of bullets.
The other two men had drawn their weapons and were firing directly at him.
His fiancée, Chloe, did not scream or dive for cover like the rest of the patrons.
Instead, she calmly stood up and brushed a piece of broken glass from her designer dress.
She looked down at Roman with a cold, hollow smile.
Nora grabbed Roman by the collar of his suit and violently yanked him toward the kitchen doors.
They sprinted through the swinging metal doors just as the wood behind them splintered from gunfire.
Chefs and dishwashers were already fleeing out the back exits in absolute terror.
Nora expertly locked the heavy steel doors behind them and jammed a rolling prep table against the handles.
Roman leaned against the stainless steel counter, breathing heavily as he stared at the waitress.
He demanded to know who she really was and how she knew about the trap.
Nora ignored his questions and pulled a sleek black handgun from beneath her white apron.
She quickly checked the magazine and racked the slide with professional precision.
She told Roman they had exactly thirty seconds before the hitmen breached the kitchen.
They rushed toward the rear delivery exit, hoping to vanish into the dark alleyway.
Just as Nora reached for the handle, the door swung open from the outside.
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Standing in the doorway was the restaurant manager, holding a massive shotgun aimed directly at Nora's chest.
He smiled apologetically and said Chloe was paying him entirely too much money to let them leave alive.
