Chapter 10 - The Last Drop
Rourke leaned over the metal railing, thoroughly enjoying the treacherous spectacle.
"Good girl, Clara!" Rourke cheered.
"Shoot the great Leo Caruso in the back, and you can take your brother home!"
Leo stared at Clara, a profound sadness crossing his striking features.
Clara locked eyes with him, and in that split second, she gave him a nearly imperceptible nod.
She suddenly pivoted on her heel, aiming the gun upward at the catwalk.
She pulled the trigger twice, shooting the two guards standing directly behind Evan.
The men collapsed, dropping their weapons.
Rourke gasped in surprise, raising his rifle to fire at Clara.
Leo used the precious distraction to retrieve a tiny, palm-sized derringer he had hidden in his shoe.
Before Rourke could squeeze his trigger, Leo fired a single bullet straight up through the grated floor of the catwalk.
The bullet struck Rourke in the chest, and the mafia boss tumbled violently over the railing, crashing onto the concrete floor below.
The remaining guards surrendered immediately, dropping their weapons as police sirens wailed in the distance.
Clara ran up the metal stairs and untied Evan, pulling him into a desperate, crushing hug.
Leo walked up the stairs slowly, a genuine smile finally breaking across his exhausted face.
A week later, Evan underwent a successful, permanent heart surgery fully funded by Leo's legitimate businesses.
The Rourke family was completely dismantled, and Frank was locked away in a federal maximum-security prison.
Clara stood on the balcony of the Caruso estate, looking out over the peaceful gardens.
Leo wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Their marriage of convenience had blossomed into something undeniably real and fiercely protective.
Three weeks later, Clara stood in the foyer sorting the morning mail.
She opened a blank black envelope and pulled out a single photograph.
May you like
It was a picture of the original faded blood donor card she had used on the night they first met.
Written on the back in fresh red ink were the words: "You are not a unicorn, Clara, you are an experiment, and it is time to come back to the lab."
