CHAPTER 9
The sudden glare of headlights blinded Marcus for a split second,
forcing him to raise his arm to shield his eyes,
while Arthur instantly panicked.
"They found me,"
Arthur gasped,
his voice cracking with pure terror,
as he turned around and sprinted back toward the waiting boat.
Marcus didn't waste a moment,
diving behind a stack of rusted shipping containers just as the first gunshot echoed through the night.
The bullet tore through the wood where he had been standing,
sending splinters flying into the air like lethal confetti.
From the black SUVs,
armed men dressed in tactical gear poured out,
their weapons equipped with silencers that hissed viciously in the dark.
Marcus kept his back pressed against the metal container,
clutching the flash drive tightly,
knowing he had to survive at all costs for Khloe and his son.
He slipped through the shadows,
using his intimate knowledge of the harbor layout to outmaneuver the gunmen,
moving like a ghost through the thick fog.
He reached his own armored vehicle,
jamming the key into the ignition,
the engine roaring to life with a powerful,
reassuring growl.
He slammed on the gas,
the tires spinning violently before catching traction,
propelling the heavy car forward right through the temporary barricade the attackers had formed.
Bullets pinged harmlessly off the reinforced glass,
leaving spiderweb cracks but failing to penetrate the cabin,
as Marcus sped away into the safety of the highway.
His heart hammered against his ribs,
a cocktail of adrenaline and fury coursing through his veins,
as he dialed the estate's private security line.
"Lock it down,"
Marcus ordered the head of security,
his voice clipped and commanding,
leaving no room for delay.
"We have a breach of information,
nobody enters or leaves the property until I get there,
do you understand?"
By the time he tore up the long driveway of the Thorne estate,
the entire perimeter was bathed in floodlights,
and guards stood at every entrance with rifles drawn.
He threw the car into park,
leaping out before the engine even died,
and took the front steps three at a time.
Khloe met him in the grand foyer,
her face pale but her expression fierce,
holding a laptop that was buzzing with frantic security alerts.
"They tried to hack our mainframe ten minutes ago,
Marcus,
but I managed to reroute the servers,"
she said,
her voice steady despite the chaos around them.
He gathered her into his arms,
May you like
pressing a fervent kiss to her forehead,
realizing that his wife was far more capable than his enemies could ever anticipate.
