Chapter 14 - The Syndicate's Whisper
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The kiss changed everything, but it also changed nothing. The outside world didn't stop because they found a moment of peace in the dark.
Rumors are the true currency of the underworld. And the underworld was whispering.
A week later, Marcus asked for a private meeting with Victor in the study. Hannah was pouring coffee in the corner, a domestic habit she refused to break, when Marcus delivered the grim news.
“Boss, we have a problem,” Marcus stated, looking uncomfortable. “Word is leaking out to the other families. They know about the girl. They know about Hannah.”
Victor’s jaw tightened. He set his coffee cup down with a sharp clink. “How?”
“Gregory must have left a dead-man’s switch. Or the Romanovs figured it out before we took out Alexei,” Marcus explained. “The syndicate heads are talking. They say you’ve gone soft. They say you’re harboring a civilian weakness in your master wing.”
“Let them talk,” Victor growled.
“It’s more than talk, Victor,” Marcus warned. “The Romanovs’ backer in New York, a man named Sokolov, sent a message this morning.”
Marcus placed a small, black box on the desk.
Victor opened it. Inside was a single, dead yellow duckling, and a heavy silver coin.
Hannah gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. It was a direct, grotesque threat aimed squarely at Poppy and the tracker coin that had saved their lives.
“Sokolov wants retaliation for the hit on Alexei,” Marcus said grimly. “He knows the child is your weak spot. Our scouts spotted a Russian hit squad probing our northern perimeter last night.”
Victor stared at the dead bird in the box. The warmth that had blossomed in his chest over the last few weeks was instantly replaced by a terrifying, absolute ice. He was no longer the gentle lover who held Hannah after her nightmares. He was the monster who ruled Baltimore.
“Double the perimeter guards,” Victor commanded, his voice devoid of all humanity. “No one leaves this estate. If a single Russian steps onto my grass, I want their head mounted on the front gate.”
He looked at Hannah. She was terrified, trembling slightly, but she didn't look away from him.
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“They are coming for us,” she whispered.
“They can try,” Victor said, standing up. “But they will drown in their own blood before they reach my front door.”
