Any rational person would call for extraction.
But as I watch Bianca assess our situation with that unnaturally steady gaze, I realize she’s not thinking like any rational person I’ve ever known.
She’s thinking like Giuseppe DeLuca.
God help us.
“Left side building, third floor!” I call out as I spot a sniper position. “Bianca, can you?—”
“I got it!” she calls, rolling down her window and returning fire with controlled bursts that force the shooter to duck for cover.
But even as she engages the enemy, I can see her lips moving slightly.
Is she praying?
Our vehicle lurches as the driver takes a hit, blood spreading across his shoulder as he struggles to maintain control.
I grab the wheel from the back seat, trying to keep us stable while Bianca continues her counter-fire, her body jerking in time with the gun.
“H–how many more blocks?” Dr. Schuyler’s voice is barely audible over the gunfire.
“Eight,” I tell her, though I have no idea how we’re going to make it that far.
That’s when I see the real scope of Dominic’s plan.
This isn’t just an ambush to kill a federal witness.
The positioning of the shooters, the timing of the attack, the presence of news cameras in strategic locations—this entire operation has been designed to create a very specific narrative.
DeLuca protection fails catastrophically.
Bianca DeLuca proves unworthy of leadership.
The witness dies in a hail of bullets while under the protection of Giuseppe’s granddaughter.
Except she’s not Giuseppe’s granddaughter. She’s Giuseppe’sdaughter.
And that’s going to make all the difference.
“Change of plans,” Bianca announces, ejecting her spent magazine and slamming in a fresh one. “We’re not running from this fight.”
I stare at her, open mouthed. Has she lost her fucking mind? “Bianca, we need to?—”
“We’re gonna end it.” She turns to look at me, and for a moment I see something in her eyes that makes every survival instinct I have start screaming warnings. “Trust me.”
I do, and that’s what scares me.
She flashes me a Cheshire cat grin and kicks open her door.
Horror rolls through me and I lean forward to try and snatch her.
There’s no fucking way she’s about to do what I think she’s going to do.
She can’t be that idiotic…
“Don’t you fucking dare, Bianca!” I shout.
She waggles her fingers at me. “Bye.”
