Chapter 7 - The Shield
"Step away from the wheelchair, sweetheart," Leo ordered, his voice an icy, arrogant whisper as he closed the door quietly behind him. "And hand over whatever you just took out of that drawer."
Clara didn't scream. She didn't beg for her life.
She kept her body draped protectively over Matteo, pressing his face securely into her chest so he couldn't see the gun. She slowly turned her head, glaring over her shoulder at the armed mafia lieutenant. Her long dark hair cascaded over her sage-green blouse, completely hiding the boy from his line of sight.
"If you shoot me," Clara said, her voice shockingly steady, "the blood spatter will cover the room. You won't be able to stage this as a natural medical emergency. Vincent will know."
Leo chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. He took a slow step closer, aiming the barrel directly at her temple.
"Vincent is a blind fool," Leo sneered, his eyes filled with venomous ambition. "I'll just say you were a cartel spy. That you tried to kill the boy, and I walked in and stopped you. Now, give me the memory card. The brat shouldn't have survived the blast a year ago anyway. I'm just finishing the job."
Matteo whimpered, his tiny hands gripping Clara’s blouse in sheer terror.
Clara’s eyes darted past Leo. She didn't look at the door. She looked at the shadows in the hallway just behind it.
May you like
"You're not going to finish anything," Clara said coldly.
👉 Leo thought the caretaker was bluffing, but the heavy mahogany door behind him was about to be blown completely off its hinges.
