Chapter 13 - Blood in the Snow
Three days later, the quiet of Harbor Cove shattered.
Antonio Moretti had not accepted his public humiliation in Chicago. Desperate to seize control of the Moretti family assets before Damian liquidated them, Antonio had struck a secret deal with the Russian Bratva syndicate, tracking Damian’s location through an illegally intercepted satellite signal from Marco's laptop.
It was 4:00 P.M. The sun was setting over the harbor, casting long, bloody shadows across the water.
Claire was walking out of The Daily Bread, holding a small box of fresh bread for the community shelter, when a black SUV with tinted windows pulled up to the curb.
The doors flew open. Two heavily armed men in dark tactical gear jumped out, grabbing Claire by her arms before she could even shout.
"Get in the car!" one of them growled in a thick Russian accent.
"Let go of me!" Claire screamed, fighting back, kicking her heels against the pavement.
From down the block, Damian was stepping out of a local diner. He saw the struggle instantly.
"CLAIRE!" Damian roared.
His military training took over instantly. Damian sprinted down the sidewalk like a predator, pulling a heavy black 9mm handgun from beneath his coat.
The Russian enforcer turned, raising an automatic rifle. "Shoot him!"
Damian fired three precise rounds through the windshield of the SUV, dropping the driver instantly. He lunged forward, tackling the man holding Claire to the ground, slamming his head against the curb until he went limp.
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"Claire! Get behind me!" Damian yelled, shoving her behind his back into the recess of the bakery doorway.
A second SUV skidded around the corner. Automatic gunfire erupted across the quiet street, shattering the glass display windows of The Daily Bread into a million falling shards.
