Chapter 29
The intruder gasped for air,
the sharp edge of Harrison's blade pressing tightly against their skin,
drawing a tiny bead of crimson.
Under the dim light of the nursery nightlamp,
Harrison realized the intruder was young,
her eyes wide with fear,
clad in tight black tactical gear.
"Wait,"
she gasped out,
her voice trembling but desperate,
"I was sent to give you a message,
not to hurt anyone."
"You chose the wrong room to deliver a message,"
Harrison growled,
not loosening his grip even a fraction of an inch.
"Who sent you?"
Before she could answer,
the door opened softly,
and Khloe stepped into the room,
holding a heavy silver candlestick as a weapon.
She stopped dead in her tracks,
gasping at the sight of her brother pinning a woman to the floor.
"Harrison,"
Khloe whispered,
her eyes moving from him to the sleeping toddler,
who miraculously had not woken up.
"Take the baby to the study,"
Harrison ordered without looking back,
"now,
Khloe."
Khloe did not argue,
she quickly lifted her daughter from the crib,
wrapping her in a blanket,
and hurried out of the room.
Once they were gone,
Harrison dragged the intruder to her feet,
binding her wrists with a heavy zip-tie he kept in his pocket.
"Speak,"
he commanded,
pushing her into a chair in the corner of the room,
away from the window.
"My name is Maya,"
she stammered,
looking at the floor,
"I work for a man named Vance."
Harrison's blood ran cold at the mention of the name,
a ghost from his past resurfacing with a vengeance.
Vance was a ruthless crime lord Harrison had thought was locked away for life,
a man who controlled the city's underworld before the cleanup.
"Vance is in federal prison,"
Harrison said,
his voice flat and dangerous.
"He was released three days ago on a legal technicality,"
Maya explained,
her voice gaining a bit of stability.
"He wants his city back,
and he blamed you for destroying his empire."
"So he sent a child to do his dirty work?"
Harrison scoffed,
his eyes narrowing.
"He sent me to see if you were still soft,"
Maya said,
a hint of defiance returning to her tone.
"He said if you were soft,
I should take the asset."
"The asset?"
Harrison questioned,
his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.
"The child,"
Maya said softly,
regrettting the words as soon as they left her mouth.
Harrison's expression did not change,
but the aura around him became suffocatingly heavy,
filled with pure promise of destruction.
Marcus entered the room then,
breathing slightly hard,
his jacket torn from a brief struggle outside.
"I lost the lookout,"
Marcus reported,
"but I see you caught the prize."
"She works for Vance,"
Harrison told him,
turning his back on Maya to face his friend.
"He is out,
Marcus."
Marcus's jaw tightened,
the name clearly striking a chord of recognition and mutual hatred.
"Then the city is in danger again,"
Marcus said,
"and so are we."
"No,"
Harrison corrected,
looking out the window into the dark night,
May you like
"Vance is the one in danger,
he just doesn't know it yet."
