Chapter 6 - The Blood on the Marble
-6-
The heavy thud of Vincent Marsh collapsing onto the pristine white marble of the Barrington foyer shattered the suffocating quiet of the chateau. The spotless stone instantly smeared with dark, spreading crimson as Vincent dragged himself forward, his free hand clutching a deep, jagged gash in his shoulder where a bullet had torn through his coat and flesh.
"Alistair..." Vincent choked out, his face gray with shock and blood loss. "The... the warehouse on 22nd Street. It was a setup."
Lena screamed, instinctively stepping back and pulling sleeping Nora tighter against her chest.
Alistair didn't flinch. The calm, composed titan of industry vanished in a microsecond, replaced by a ruthless warlord. In three long strides, Alistair crossed the foyer, dropping to one knee beside his chief enforcer.
"Who?" Alistair demanded, his voice a low, murderous growl.
"The North Side," Vincent wheezed, coughing up a spatter of dark blood onto the marble. "They knew about the shipment. They were waiting with automatic weapons. They... they took the ledger, Alistair."
Alistair’s jaw clenched so tightly the muscle ticked along his cheek. He looked up at the head butler hovering by the grand staircase. "Get Dr. Aris down here immediately. Bring the trauma kit from the east wing. Do not call an ambulance—we handle this in-house."
"Yes, Mr. Vance," the butler muttered, sprinting toward the interior corridors.
Alistair turned his dark, furious eyes toward Lena, who stood frozen near the door, her entire body trembling.
"Take Nora upstairs," Alistair commanded, his voice absolute and unyielding. "Mrs. Gable is waiting at the top of the stairs. She will lock the west wing doors. You are not to leave that suite until I tell you it is safe."
"I... I can help," Lena stammered, looking at the blood pooling on the floor. "I know first aid, I can get towels—"
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"This is not a diner kitchen, Lena!" Alistair snapped, rising to his full height, his hands stained with his best friend's blood. "Upstairs. Now."
Frightened, overwhelmed, and realizing she had stepped into a war zone far deadlier than she had ever imagined, Lena turned and fled up the grand staircase, clutching her baby like a shield against the darkness closing in around them.
