Chapter 5 - The Warehouse Trap
Rain hammered the roof of the abandoned Hale Logistics terminal.
Emily walked through the main entrance carrying a leather case.
Luca stayed one step behind her.
"You remember the plan?" he murmured.
"Give them the case. Get Maya."
"And if anything changes?"
"I follow you."
Luca looked at her.
"That sounded painful."
"It was."
They reached the warehouse floor.
Maya sat in a chair beneath a hanging industrial lamp.
Marcus stood beside her.
Emily stared at him.
He looked almost ashamed.
"You."
Marcus lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Maya snapped, "He's been saying that for two hours. It isn't improving."
Emily almost laughed from sheer relief.
Victor Hale emerged from behind a stack of crates.
He shouldn't have been there.
Yet there he stood.
Expensive coat.
Perfect hair.
A man who still believed money could rewrite reality.
"Put the case down."
Emily did.
"Let Maya go."
Hale nodded toward Marcus.
Marcus untied her.
Maya immediately ran toward Emily.
Emily grabbed her and held on.
"You okay?"
"Yes."
"Sure?"
"Emily, breathe."
Only then did Emily realize she was shaking.
Luca moved between the sisters and Hale.
"You have what you wanted."
Hale opened the case.
He removed the ledger.
Flipped through several pages.
His eyes narrowed.
"This isn't the original."
Luca smiled slightly.
"No."
Hale looked up.
"You think I'm stupid?"
"I think you're predictable."
Hale reached inside his coat.
Luca's men appeared from the shadows.
So did Chicago detectives.
Hale froze.
Emily looked around.
"You brought the police again?"
Luca glanced at her.
"I'm developing a reputation."
Detective Sarah Brennan stepped forward.
"Victor Hale, hands where we can see them."
Hale laughed.
"On what charge?"
Brennan held up her phone.
"Kidnapping is a good start."
Marcus suddenly spoke.
"And conspiracy."
Hale turned.
Marcus stepped away from him.
"I'm done."
Hale stared.
"You don't get to be done."
Marcus looked at Luca.
"I gave Hale information about your security."
Luca's face showed nothing.
Marcus continued.
"I told him about the Parker sisters. I let his people inside Emily's apartment. I took Maya."
Emily's hand tightened around her sister's.
Marcus looked at her.
"But I didn't know what Hale did to your father."
"You expect that to matter?" Emily asked.
"No."
"Good."
Marcus turned toward Brennan.
"I'll testify."
Hale's composure finally cracked.
"You pathetic—"
He reached for his gun.
Everything happened in less than a second.
Luca moved.
He shoved Emily and Maya behind a steel column.
Detectives raised their weapons.
A gunshot rang out.
Then another.
Hale's gun hit the floor.
Luca staggered.
Emily's heart stopped.
"Luca?"
He looked down.
Blood spread across the side of his shirt.
"Luca!"
She caught him before he fell.
Brennan's officers tackled Hale.
Emily barely noticed.
"Daniel!"
Daniel ran over.
Luca sat against the column.
"It's not bad."
Emily pressed both hands against the wound.
"Do not tell me that."
"I've had worse."
"That's somehow the least reassuring sentence possible."
Maya crouched beside them.
"Ambulance is coming."
Emily looked at Luca.
His face had gone pale.
"Stay awake."
"I'm awake."
"Keep talking."
"About what?"
"Anything."
He looked at her.
"Carmine's coffee is terrible."
Emily stared.
"You've never been there."
"My father used to go."
"Then your father had terrible taste."
"Probably."
"Keep talking."
Luca's eyes remained on hers.
"You ran into Meridian."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because there were guards."
"You trusted armed strangers?"
"I trusted that whoever owned a place like that wouldn't tolerate someone causing trouble outside."
Luca gave a weak laugh.
"That's an extremely dangerous theory."
"It worked."
Sirens approached.
Emily pressed harder against his wound.
Luca grimaced.
"Careful."
"No."
"No?"
"You've spent all night giving orders. My turn."
He looked at her.
Despite the pain, there was amusement in his eyes.
"All right."
"You are going to the hospital."
"Apparently."
"You are not dying."
"I wasn't planning to."
"And when this is over, you're going to explain why you keep risking your life for someone you met tonight."
Luca's eyes stayed on hers.
"Emily."
"What?"
"I already know the answer."
For once, she didn't demand he tell her.
The paramedics arrived.
As they lifted Luca onto the stretcher, his hand found hers.
Emily held it.
May you like
And she didn't let go.
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