Chapter 2 - Shadows on the Terminal Curve
"Get in, Adrian," Vincent said, his voice flat and devoid of warmth as he rolled down the tinted window of the town car.
The cold October wind whipped through the arrivals lane, carrying the scent of jet fuel and damp asphalt. Beside me, Julie instinctively pulled Lily closer to her side, shielding the little girl's eyes from the sudden glare of the headlights.
"I have other plans, Vincent," I said, not breaking my stride as I positioned myself between the car and Julie.
"Your father’s dinner party starts in an hour," Vincent replied, stepping out of the vehicle with the easy, measured grace of a man who carried a concealed firearm and knew how to use it without leaving a trace. He glanced past me, his eyes lingering for a fraction of a second on Lily’s face. A flicker of recognition—or calculation—passed through his cold eyes. "And he explicitly requested your presence. Bring the company if you must, but you're getting in this car."
"Tell him I'll be late," I snapped, my hand instinctively sliding toward my jacket pocket.
"He said if you didn't show, he’d send someone to check on Naomi Ellis at her apartment on Jane Street," Vincent said smoothly, delivering the threat with the casual indifference of reading a weather report.
My blood turned to ice water.
They knew. They had known the moment my private jet filed its flight plan back from London. They had tracked Naomi down years ago, or perhaps they had just found her now. Either way, the illusion of privacy was shattered.
"You touch her, and I'll dismantle every asset this family owns brick by brick," I said, stepping into Vincent’s personal space, lowering my voice to a lethal whisper.
Vincent didn't flinch. He just smiled thinly. "I'm just the messenger, Adrian. But if I were you, I’d worry less about me and more about what Naomi is going to do when she realizes you brought the wolves straight to her doorstep."
He turned and opened the rear door wider.
I looked back at Julie. She was shaking, her eyes wide with a terror that went far beyond mere intimidation. She knew the Moretti syndicate’s reputation wasn't a myth; it was a body count.
"Go," Julie whispered, her voice cracking. "Just... go deal with your family. I'll take Lily home. I'll warn Naomi."
"You won't get the chance," I said, making my decision in a split second. I grabbed Julie’s arm, steering her and Lily toward a yellow cab idling three cars down. I shoved a hundred-dollar bill through the driver's window before he could object. "Take them to the address on this," I muttered, flashing my phone screen with a secure safe house location in Soho, not Naomi's apartment. "Keep them inside. Do not answer the door for anyone."
"Adrian—" Julie started.
"Trust me for once," I cut her off, slamming the taxi door shut.
May you like
As the cab pulled away into the stream of traffic, I turned back to Vincent, pulled open the door of the town car, and slid into the leather seat beside him.
"To the estate," I ordered. "And if my father so much as mentions Naomi’s name tonight, I’ll burn the boardroom to the ground."
