My three-year-old daughter tugged on the trousers of one of New York’s most feared mafia bosses and asked him for a stuffed dog before tomorrow. Julian Hail almost smiled until Ivy whispered, “It’s not for me. It’s for a boy who doesn’t have anybody.” Then she told him where that six-year-old boy lived, and the man who frightened half the city suddenly went completely still.

Julian snatched the stuffed dog from Toby's hands with terrifying speed.

He ripped the fabric open and extracted a sophisticated, military-grade tracking beacon.

The small red light on the device was blinking rapidly in the dim safehouse.

Julian cursed loudly and crushed the expensive hardware beneath the heel of his leather boot.

He looked at me and said the tracking signal had already broadcast our exact location.

We had less than five minutes before Marcus and his hit squad arrived at the bunker.

I grabbed Ivy and Toby by their hands, telling them we had to run again.

Julian opened a secondary weapons cache and loaded a heavy assault rifle.

He tossed me a compact handgun and told me to aim for the chest if anyone approached the kids.

We slipped out the back emergency hatch just as the heavy front blast doors began to rattle.

The sound of industrial cutting torches hissed loudly against the thick steel.

We ran down a narrow, damp utility tunnel that connected to the city's subway system.

The air was thick with dust and the smell of ancient, rotting concrete.

Julian took the lead, sweeping every dark corner with the barrel of his rifle.

We could hear heavy boots echoing down the tunnel behind us.

Marcus had deployed a massive tactical team to ensure no one survived the night.

We reached a rusty iron gate that led out onto an abandoned subway platform.

Julian kicked the old padlock violently until the rusted metal finally shattered.

We hurried onto the platform just as a distant train whistle blew in the dark tunnels.

I looked down the tracks and saw the blinding headlight of an oncoming cargo train.

Suddenly, the utility tunnel gate burst open behind us.

Marcus stepped onto the platform, holding a suppressed pistol and smiling wickedly.

He was completely flanked by a dozen heavily armed traitors.

Marcus casually told Julian that it was time for the Hail empire to undergo new management.

He aimed his weapon directly at Toby's head, completely ignoring Julian.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

Julian stepped in front of the boy, shielding him entirely from the assassin.

Marcus laughed coldly and pulled the trigger without a second thought.

Chapter 3 - The Listening Toy