Chapter 15 - Blood on the Leather

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The explosion threw Ellie to the floor, her injured ribs screaming in agony as she hit the hardwood.

Through the smoke and splintered wood, two Volkov mercenaries stepped into the study, assault rifles raised. Leo bravely stepped in front of Liam, shielding the six-year-old, but he was just a teenager trembling in the face of killers.

“Well, well,” the lead mercenary sneered, aiming his weapon at Ellie on the floor. “Viktor sends his regards, Mrs. Callahan.”

Ellie squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the end.

A shadow dropped from the ceiling air vent behind them.

Jack hadn’t left the tower. It had been a feint.

Before the mercenary could pull the trigger, Jack was upon him. He didn’t use a gun. He used a combat knife, moving with a fluid, terrifying brutality that Ellie had never seen outside of nightmares. He neutralized the first man in seconds, ripping the rifle from his hands and firing two perfect shots into the chest of the second mercenary.

The room went completely silent, save for the ringing in Ellie’s ears.

Jack stood over the bodies, his suit ruined, his chest heaving. He dropped the rifle and immediately dropped to his knees beside Ellie, his hands frantically checking her for fresh bullet holes.

“Are you hurt? Did they touch you?” his voice was frantic, the terrifying mob boss replaced entirely by a desperate man.

“I’m okay,” she sobbed, throwing her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shoulder, the smell of gunpowder instantly transporting her back to the gala. But this time, she wasn’t bleeding.

Jack crushed her against his chest, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. He looked over her shoulder at Leo and Liam, ensuring they were unharmed.

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“I told you I protect what is mine,” Jack whispered fiercely into her hair. “Viktor is dead. My men are wiping out his remaining lieutenants right now. It’s over.”

Ellie clung to him, realizing in that chaotic, blood-soaked moment that the lie she was living had become the truest thing in her life.