Chapter 4 - The Vanguard Threat
Dawn broke cold and gray over Lake Michigan, casting long shadows across the reinforced concrete of the Romano estate.
Fiona sat in the downstairs kitchen wrapped in a thick wool blanket, holding a steaming mug of black coffee between her trembling hands. Her left cheek was bruised where she had slammed against the changing table in the rush to save Leo.
Alessio walked into the kitchen, his movements quiet. He placed a first-aid kit on the wooden table and pulled out a chair opposite her.
"Your cheek is swollen," Alessio said quietly, his voice devoid of its usual lethal edge.
Fiona didn't look up. "I've had worse."
"Dominic told me who you are," Alessio said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "He told me about Seattle. He told me you witnessed the hit on the family you worked for. And he told me Vanguard is hunting you."
Fiona’s coffee mug rattled against the saucer. She finally raised her eyes, her gaze fierce and steady. "Are you going to throw me out to them? Is that why you're sitting here?"
"If I wanted you out, you would have been gone two weeks ago," Alessio replied flatly. "I keep my house secure, Fiona. If Vanguard is looking for you, they aren't going to find you here. And if they try... they’ll find out why people in Chicago stop breathing when my name is mentioned."
Fiona stared at him, searching his hard, scarred face for deception. Finding none, a ghost of a smile touched her lips. "You really are as dangerous as they say, aren't you?"
"More so," Alessio answered honestly. "Why were you running from Vanguard, Fiona? Dominic only knew part of the story."
Fiona’s expression darkened, the memory flashing behind her eyes. "The father of the baby I nursed in Seattle—he was uncovering a money-laundering pipeline connected directly to Vanguard’s shipping routes. They murdered him in his own driveway. They wanted the documents he had hidden in the nursery. I took the flash drive, grabbed the baby, and ran."
"Where is the child now?" Alessio asked softly.
"Safe," Fiona whispered, looking down. "Hidden with relatives out of state. But Vanguard won't stop until they recover those files. And now... they probably know I’m here."
As if on cue, the heavy iron security gates at the front of the estate let out a violent, metallic crash.
Down in the security office, alarms began to wail.
Alessio stood up instantly, his entire demeanor shifting from a grieving father into a calculated, merciless predator. He drew his pistol, checking the magazine with a practiced click.
"Stay with Leo," Alessio ordered, turning toward the door.
May you like
"Alessio, wait," Fiona stood up, blocking his path. "You can't fight them alone. They sent an entire tactical team. I saw them in Seattle."
Alessio looked down at her, a strange, grim warmth in his eyes. "Fiona... this is my house. And nobody touches my son, and nobody touches the woman who saved him."
