Chapter 3 - The Ghost in the Locket
The hinge of the silver locket had broken from the impact. As Grant lifted it into his large palm, the metal casing flipped open.
Inside was a tiny, slightly faded photograph of a smiling couple.
One was Hannah, looking vibrant and happy, completely devoid of the exhaustion and bruises she wore today. Standing next to her, with his arm wrapped lovingly around her waist, was a handsome, broad-shouldered man wearing a Chicago Fire Department uniform.
All the blood instantly drained from Grant’s face.
His heart stopped dead in his chest. His hands, which had ordered the executions of rival gang leaders without a second thought, began to tremble uncontrollably.
He knew that face. He saw that man’s face every single night in his nightmares.
"Boss?" Vince, Grant's sharply dressed, arrogant underboss, stepped forward. Vince was the man who had violently shoved Hannah into the wall just ten minutes ago. "Forget the crazy nurse. Let's go check on your mother's room transfer."
Grant didn't hear him. The world was spinning.
The man in the photograph was David Reed.
Seven months ago, an abandoned warehouse on the South Side had been intentionally set on fire. What the arsonists didn't know was that Grant had been secretly hiding his elderly mother in the adjoining apartment building to protect her from a rising syndicate war.
The fire had spread out of control. The roof collapsed. Grant’s mother was trapped in the blazing inferno.
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A lone firefighter had defied his captain's orders, rushing into the crumbling building. He had found Grant’s mother, shielded her with his own body, and literally thrown her out of a first-floor window to safety just seconds before the burning ceiling collapsed, crushing him to death.
👉 How will the mafia boss react when he realizes he just threatened his mother's savior's widow?
