Chapter 1 - The Tactical Call
There was a heavy pause on the line that lasted a fraction of a second too long.
Agent Mara Voss was the most ruthless operative in the fraud division, and her silence terrified me more than the pain.
"Claire, listen to me very carefully," Mara finally said, her voice dropping to a sharp, commanding whisper.
"I am dispatching a federal tactical medical unit to your exact coordinates right now."
My breath hitched as a fresh wave of agony ripped through my lower abdomen, forcing me to lean against the cold porcelain sink.
"How long?" I gasped, watching a fresh pool of blood and amniotic fluid mix on the pristine white tiles.
"They are eight minutes out," Mara replied, the sound of a roaring helicopter engine suddenly echoing in the background of her call.
"You need to barricade that door with everything you have."
I looked around the luxurious bridal bathroom, my eyes darting across the velvet lounge chairs and heavy marble countertops.
"Evan knows," I cried softly, the reality of my husband’s betrayal breaking my heart even as my body tore itself apart.
"He signed the offshore transfers, Mara."
"I know," she said grimly.
"We intercepted the wire logs an hour ago, and the groom at this wedding is Julian Vance, the head of the laundering syndicate."
A sickening wave of realization washed over me.
Evan had not locked me in this room simply to protect his sister’s wedding spotlight.
He had locked me in here because the federal raid was already imminent, and I was the only person who possessed the master decryption keys.
I shoved a heavy velvet ottoman against the thick oak door, my hands trembling violently.
Suddenly, the brass doorknob slowly began to turn.
"Claire, darling," a smooth, unfamiliar male voice echoed from the hallway.
May you like
"Your husband tells me you have something that belongs to my syndicate."
The lock clicked ominously, and I realized Julian had the master key to every room in the estate.
