Chapter 10 - The Devil's Ink
Kieran realized too late that the document was not a property deed.
It was a formalized confession linking Kieran’s shadow army directly to the Russian syndicate.
Before Kieran could give the order to fire, the sky above the pier exploded with light.
Three heavily armed federal tactical helicopters swooped down from the clouds.
Declan had not called the Italian mob for help.
He had secretly traded the encrypted phone’s missing data logs to the FBI in exchange for total immunity and a raid.
Federal agents fast-roped onto the docks, tossing flashbangs into the crowd of mercenaries.
Deafening explosions temporarily blinded everyone on the pier.
Declan tackled Chloe to the ground, shielding her from the incoming crossfire.
Through the smoke, Kieran blindly raised his weapon to shoot Declan in the back.
Declan drew his sidearm faster, firing two perfect shots directly into his brother’s chest.
Kieran collapsed backward into the dark, freezing water of the river.
Declan scrambled forward and snatched the blue vial from the concrete.
He rushed back to his helicopter, leaving the federal agents to mop up the remaining thugs.
He jammed the antidote syringe into Gemma’s arm and pushed the plunger down.
Within seconds, her violent seizing stopped, and color began returning to her pale face.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering open to see Declan smiling down at her.
He kissed her forehead, promising her that the war was finally over.
Declan stepped away to check on Chloe, leaving Gemma to rest against the leather seat.
Gemma weakly reached into her coat pocket to retrieve the encrypted phone the FBI hadn't taken yet.
She wanted to ensure Kieran hadn't downloaded her personal information.
She bypassed the security firewall and accessed the deepest hidden folders.
She tapped on a file labeled with her own family’s last name.
A scanned contract for a professional hitman loaded onto the screen.
The contract was dated exactly ten years ago.
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The designated target on the document was Gemma's mother.
And the signature authorizing the brutal murder belonged to Declan Morrow.
