Chapter 7 - The Trap
Maeve stared through the rain-streaked window of the SUV in absolute shock.
Uncle Carlo was standing right behind Mrs. Hess.
The brothers lowered their weapons slightly in confusion.
“Uncle Carlo?” Roman called out over the roar of the jet engines.
“What are you doing here with the traitor?”
Carlo smiled, a cold and calculated expression that mirrored Roman's perfectly.
He raised his free hand and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, a dozen heavily armed men stepped out from behind the hangars, completely surrounding the three brothers.
“Mrs. Hess isn't a traitor, boys,” Carlo shouted back, stepping down the metal stairs.
“She is my most loyal employee.”
Gabriel tightened his grip on his gun.
“You set us up.”
“You hired the mercenaries to attack the manor, and you fed the panic room code to them through Hess.”
Carlo sighed heavily, shaking his head in disappointment.
“I had to test you, boys.”
“You three have been running this syndicate like a charity for the last five years.”
“You refuse to deal in narcotics, you refuse to buy the local politicians, and you actually pay your staff a living wage.”
He gestured dismissively toward the armored SUV where Maeve was hiding.
“You even let a maid cook you breakfast instead of executing her for insolence.”
“You are soft.”
Declan stepped forward, his massive chest heaving with rage.
“We built this empire without selling poison to children, Carlo.”
“That doesn't make us soft.”
“It makes us smart.”
Carlo laughed bitterly.
“It makes you a liability.”
“I’m taking over the family today.”
He nodded to his heavily armed men.
“Kill them.”
The men raised their automatic weapons.
Maeve knew she had exactly one second to act before the three brothers were turned into Swiss cheese.
She didn't hesitate.
She climbed over the center console and threw herself into the driver's seat.
She slammed the SUV into reverse, flooring the accelerator.
The massive armored vehicle shot backward, smashing violently into the two mercenaries standing closest to the rear bumper.
She immediately threw the car into drive and spun the steering wheel hard.
The SUV fishtailed wildly on the wet tarmac, slamming into the flank of Carlo's men and scattering them like bowling pins.
The sudden, chaotic movement forced the remaining gunmen to dive for cover, ruining their line of sight.
Roman, Declan, and Gabriel didn't waste the distraction.
They opened fire, dropping three of Carlo's men before sprinting toward the cover of the armored SUV.
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Gabriel yanked the passenger door open and dove inside.
“Drive, Maeve!” Gabriel roared.
