Chapter 3

I turned my back on Marco and walked away from the head table. I didn't wait for his guards to react, slipping through the double swinging doors into the service corridor.

The warm scent of roasted meat vanished behind the heavy doors. Out here, the narrow hallway smelled of cold grease, damp concrete, and raw panic.

Crouched behind a towering rack of banquet linens was Tessa. She was shaking so hard her knees hit the floor, clutching her seven-year-old daughter, Mia.

A fresh purple bruise covered the left side of Tessa's face, swelling her eye half-shut. "Elena," she choked out, gasping for air. "Rocco brought his enforcers to the gate."

"If he finds us here, he swore he'd throw Mia into the river," Tessa wept. Her hands gripped my dress like a lifeline.

Rocco Vance was Sofia's older brother. He was a ruthless monster who controlled every train track and freight line Marco needed for his empire.

Crossing Rocco meant blowing Marco's business alliance to pieces. But when a mother is bleeding on concrete with a terrified child, I don't calculate deals; I act.

"He won't touch her," I whispered, dropping to one knee on the cold floor. Mia's lips were blue, shivering uncontrollably against her mother's chest.

I slipped off my heavy wool coat and wrapped it tightly around Mia's small shoulders. I pulled the warm collar up to her chin and smoothed her hair.

I pulled my burner phone from my clutch and dialed a single number. Greer answered on the first ring, and I kept my voice low and direct.

"South alley," I said into the phone. "Bring the delivery van right now. Keep the engine running."

"Two minutes," Greer replied before the line clicked dead. I hauled Tessa to her feet, supporting her weight with both hands.

"Keep your head down," I told her firmly. "Follow my steps and do not look back."

We moved through the prep kitchen as fast as we could. The line cooks looked away and kept their mouths shut, knowing better than to ask questions.

I shoved open the heavy emergency exit into the freezing blizzard. The icy wind hit us like a wall, swirling white snow around our feet.

An unmarked gray delivery van skidded to the curb through the slush. The side door slid open with a sharp rattle into the darkness.

"Get inside," I ordered, pushing Tessa and Mia into the cargo hold. "Greer will take you straight to Room Three behind Sparrow Kitchen."

"The door has a steel lock, and only I have the key," I added through the wind. "Do not open it for anyone until I come for you."

"Elena... Rocco will tear this city apart looking for us," Tessa sobbed through her tears.

"Let him try," I said, slamming the sliding door shut.

The van's tires spun in the slush, caught traction, and sped away into the storm. They were gone, safely hidden inside my underground network where Rocco's thugs could never reach them.

I stood in the freezing snow in my evening gown, shivering to the bone. I had just declared war on my husband's most powerful alliance, and there was no going back.

I stepped back inside and threw the heavy iron deadbolt, locking the storm out. The metal clicked into place with absolute finality.

I turned around to face the hallway, and the breath froze in my chest. Standing ten feet away, leaning against the cold brick wall with folded arms, was Sofia.

Her arms were crossed over my stolen emerald dress. A nasty, triumphant smile spread across her painted red lips as she blocked my path.

"I knew you were reckless, Elena," Sofia purred, taking a slow step toward me. "First you humiliate Marco at dinner, and now you just smuggled Rocco's runaway wife out the back door."

Sofia held up her phone, the screen glowing brightly in the dim corridor. "Rocco just pulled into the private driveway. Do you think Marco will protect you when Rocco finds out?"

Behind Sofia, heavy combat boots pounded against the concrete floor. Rocco's enforcers were heading straight for our hallway.