Chapter 9 - Blood and Loyalty
Elena calmly racked the bolt of her massive sniper rifle, ejecting a smoking brass casing onto the wet wooden dock.
"You completely forgot that you were not the only heir to this criminal empire, Vance."
She spoke with a chilling, aristocratic authority that instantly caused the surrounding mercenaries to lower their weapons in profound confusion.
Vance's arrogant smile vanished entirely, instantly replaced by a look of absolute, unadulterated panic.
The momentary distraction was exactly the opening Owen desperately needed to strike back.
He violently swept his leg out in a brutal arc, completely shattering Vance's kneecap with a sickening, bone-crunching snap.
As Vance screamed and dropped the silver revolver, I launched myself aggressively forward toward my terrified little brother.
I violently tackled Leo completely out of the line of fire just as a massive, chaotic firefight erupted across the entire pier.
Elena provided devastating, highly precise sniper cover from the shadows, systematically dropping any mercenary who dared to raise a weapon.
Owen snatched the fallen silver revolver from the ground and moved through the chaotic crossfire like a terrifying, avenging angel.
He quickly eliminated the remaining guards, completely securing the perimeter within a matter of bloody seconds.
I held my brother tightly against my chest, desperately shielding his young eyes from the horrific violence unfolding around us.
Owen aggressively hauled the profusely bleeding underboss up by his expensive silk collar, pressing the hot barrel of the gun directly under Vance's chin.
"Give me one good reason why I should not feed you to the sharks right now."
Owen demanded an answer, his dark eyes blazing with an intense, murderous fury.
Vance coughed violently, spitting a mouthful of warm blood onto the slick, wooden planks of the dock.
He looked up at Owen, a sick, twisted smile slowly spreading across his heavily bruised face.
"You honestly think I had the security clearance to completely pay off the hospital's medical board for two years?"
Vance laughed weakly, the sound rattling terribly inside his damaged chest.
"I was just a highly paid distraction, Owen, meant to keep your eyes completely off the real prize."
The bloody underboss slowly shifted his gaze past Owen, looking directly at the elegant woman standing in the shadows.
"The true mastermind is the one who orchestrated your car accident to steal the throne for herself."
I turned my head in absolute horror just as Elena smoothly adjusted the aim of her heavy sniper rifle.
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She did not aim the lethal weapon at the bleeding underboss on the ground.
Elena placed the glowing red laser sight squarely against the center of her own brother's chest.
