The eviction notice was still taped to her door when Marina Holtz strapped her six-month-old son to her chest and walked into the home of the most dangerous man in the city. She had no choice — the agency made that clear, and the heat had been shut off twice that month. But when Noah stirred mid-service, his cry cutting through the silence of Adrien Cole's private dining room like a blade, Marina understood the true weight of her gamble. Every weapon in the room turned toward her. Every conversation stopped. And then the impossible happened: her baby, who screamed at every stranger, went silent the moment the mafia boss touched him. The same baby who now gripped Adrien Cole's jacket with both tiny fists and would not, under any circumstances, let go.

Hello, Marina, Liam said through the hole in the door, his voice dripping with false affection.

Marina aimed the trembling handgun directly at the face of the man she used to love.

You are dead to me! she screamed, her finger tightening on the trigger.

Liam laughed, stepping back just as Adrien fired a short burst from his submachine gun through the opening.

The bullets sparked against the outer hallway, forcing the mercenaries to take cover.

We cannot hold this room forever, Adrien muttered, looking around for a secondary escape route.

He rushed over to a heavy ventilation grate set low into the back wall of the bunker.

Adrien kicked the grate with his heavy leather boot, shattering the metal brackets and exposing a dark sewage tunnel.

Take the baby and crawl through, it leads to the city storm drains, he commanded.

Marina did not hesitate, getting on her hands and knees and sliding into the damp, foul-smelling pipe.

Adrien followed right behind her, firing one last burst at the door before crawling into the darkness.

They moved quickly, the sound of rushing water echoing loudly around them.

Marina could feel the cold dampness seeping through her clothes, but Noah remained miraculously quiet against her chest.

After twenty agonizing minutes of crawling, they reached a rusted iron ladder leading up to a street-level manhole.

Adrien climbed up first, pushing the heavy iron cover aside and pulling Marina up onto a deserted, rain-slicked alleyway.

They were blocks away from the mansion, the night air freezing against their skin.

We need to get to my safehouse in the harbor, Adrien said, leaning heavily against a brick wall.

Marina noticed the dark, wet stain spreading rapidly across the side of Adrien's expensive suit.

You are bleeding, she gasped, reaching out to press her hand against his side.

One of their bullets must have caught a ricochet when we entered the grate, he grunted in pain.

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

He stumbled forward, his massive frame suddenly looking incredibly vulnerable.

Before Marina could help him walk, the headlights of a black SUV suddenly illuminated the alleyway, blinding them both.

Chapter 5 - The Blood Price