Chapter 6 - The Siege of Hell's Kitchen
Midnight in Hell's Kitchen was a symphony of blaring sirens, wet asphalt, and distant shadows.
Sophie had packed her meager belongings into a single canvas duffel bag: two changes of clothes, a photograph of her parents, and the waterproof leather pouch containing her father’s micro-ledger.
As she unlocked the heavy wooden door of her fifth-floor walk-up, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
The hallway smelled of cheap cologne and ozone.
Before she could step inside, a heavy hand clamped over her mouth, and a muscular arm pinned her against the peeling wallpaper.
"Quiet now, little bird," a gravelly voice hissed in her ear. "Mr. Vance sends his regards."
Panicking, Sophie didn't scream. Remembering the self-defense lessons her father had insisted she take in Paris, she drove her heel backward with all her weight into the intruder’s shin, followed by a sharp elbow to his ribs.
The man grunted, losing his grip.
Sophie broke free, spinning around to see two masked men blocking the corridor. One of them drew a suppressed pistol, raising it toward her chest.
She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.
Bang.
The sound was muffled, but it didn't come from the assassin’s gun.
The gunman on the left suddenly dropped his weapon, clutching his shoulder as a bloom of dark red spread across his black jacket. From the stairwell behind them, a hail of precise, professional gunfire erupted. Three Moretti enforcers, dressed in indistinguishable dark tactical suits, poured out of the shadows like ghosts.
A brutal, silent scuffle lasted less than ten seconds. Both intruders were disarmed, zip-tied, and slammed against the wall by Alessandro’s men.
Step by measured step, Alessandro Moretti emerged from the stairwell. He wore a heavy wool trench coat, his collar turned up against the chill, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. He glanced at the two pinned assassins, then looked down at Sophie, who was shaking violently against her apartment door.
"I told you to pack your things an hour ago, Sophie," Alessandro said, his tone a mix of irritation and cold fury. "Punctuality is a virtue in our line of work."
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Sophie swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "You... you had men watching my building?"
"I told you," Alessandro replied, stepping closer and pulling her duffel bag out of the doorway. "I protect what is mine."
