Chapter 9 - The House of Cards
I did not flinch as the barrel of the silver revolver pointed directly at my chest.
I simply stared at Brittany, taking in her smeared makeup, shaking hands, and complete desperation.
"You are not a killer, Brittany, you are just a pawn who played a very stupid game," I said calmly.
Enzo stood silently in the doorway behind me, a terrifying mountain of muscle that made Brittany whimper.
"Derek promised we would run away to the Cayman Islands once Luca was arrested," she cried, lowering the gun slightly.
"Derek is a coward who will abandon you the moment you become inconvenient," I reminded her coldly.
I took a slow step forward, maintaining absolute, unwavering eye contact with the terrified woman.
"Tell me exactly where he is hiding right now, and I will ensure the Moretti syndicate protects you."
Brittany broke down completely, dropping the gun onto the cheap motel carpet.
"He is at the downtown shipping port, waiting for a private cargo boat to smuggle him out at midnight," she confessed.
I turned to Enzo, my mind operating with a cold, strategic clarity I never knew I possessed.
"Call your best lawyers and get Luca out on medical bail immediately," I ordered the enforcer.
"And send a team to the shipping port to ensure Derek Morrison misses his boat."
Three hours later, the rain had stopped, leaving the shipping docks slick and reflecting the moonlight.
I stood at the edge of Pier 44, wearing a long black coat, waiting in the heavy, salty fog.
Derek emerged from the shadows, carrying a heavy duffel bag filled with stolen corporate cash.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me standing between him and his escape vessel.
"Emma?" he asked in disbelief, looking around nervously for hidden hitmen.
"You really thought you could frame my husband and just sail away, Derek?" I asked, my voice carrying over the waves.
Derek sneered, dropping the heavy bag onto the wet wooden dock.
"Luca ruined my life, he deserves to rot in a federal cage for what he did to us," Derek spat defensively.
"Luca gave me the family you were too weak to provide," I countered fiercely.
Derek's face twisted in ugly, unrestrained rage, and he pulled a handgun from his jacket.
"Then you can die protecting a mobster," he snarled, aiming the weapon at my face.
Before Derek could pull the trigger, the sound of a heavy engine roared through the fog.
Luca’s armored SUV smashed violently through the wooden barricades of the pier.
Luca threw open the door, leaning heavily on a cane, his white shirt still stained with dried blood.
Derek panicked and fired a wild shot toward Luca, missing the mafia boss completely.
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Suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed from the shadows behind Derek, and my ex-boyfriend collapsed to his knees.
Brittany stepped out from behind a shipping container, holding her silver revolver, smoke curling from the barrel.
