Chapter 7 - A Gathering Storm
For the next three months, a fragile peace settled over Marcus’s world. David proved to be an incredibly hard worker. The fear of losing his family again, combined with Marcus’s looming presence, turned him into a model employee. He showed up early, left late, and slowly began to rebuild the trust he had broken with Emily.
Marcus found himself driving past the Lincoln Park brownstone occasionally. He never stopped, never intruded on their lives, but seeing Leo playing safely in the small front yard, running around without gasping for air, brought an unfamiliar sense of peace to Marcus’s otherwise violent world.
But peace in the Chicago underworld is always temporary.
Victor Vance wasn't a man to let an insult slide. He had spent the last few months gathering allies from the out-of-town syndicates, building up enough muscle to make a play for Marcus's territory. And he knew exactly where Marcus’s armor had a crack.
It happened on a rainy Tuesday evening, almost mirroring the night Marcus had first met Emily. Marcus was at his desk when Frank burst into the room, his face pale and covered in sweat.
"Marcus, we've got a problem," Frank breathed. "The guards at the Lincoln Park house... they're down. Vance's men hit them fast. They took Emily and Leo."
Marcus stood up so fast his heavy chair flipped backward, crashing against the hardwood floor. The calm, calculated businessman vanished, replaced instantly by the terrifying monster that Chicago feared.
"Where are they?" Marcus asked, his voice a low, guttural growl.
May you like
"They left a burner phone on the porch. Vance called. He wants you at the old meatpacking plant on the South Side. Alone. He said if he sees a single one of our cars, he kills the kid first."
Marcus didn't hesitate. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a sleek, black custom pistol, checking the magazine with a practiced, lethal click. "Get the men ready, Frank. But you stay three blocks back until I give the signal. This is between me and Victor."
