Chapter 2 - THE INTERCEPTION
The parking lot was desolate, lit only by the flickering amber glow of dying streetlamps. The wind off Lake Michigan howled through the concrete canyon, biting through my thin wool coat. My hands were shaking as I fumbled for my keys, dropping them twice onto the freezing asphalt. My mind was racing with terrifying mathematics: bus schedules, Greyhound routes, cash limits, and the impossible reality growing inside my womb.
Before I could reach the door handle of my battered Honda Civic, the shadows shifted. A sleek, black SUV silently glided down the aisle, its headlights suddenly blinding me. The tires hissed against the frosty pavement before the massive vehicle jerked to a halt, boxing my car in perfectly.
My breath caught in my throat. I stumbled backward, clutching my bag to my chest like a shield.
The doors opened simultaneously. Three men stepped out. They were dressed in impeccably tailored dark suits that screamed money, with the kind of broad, imposing shoulders that screamed violence. I recognized one of them immediately—the guard who had looked so offended when I told his boss to hold still three months ago.
"Miss Claire Evans," he said. His voice was like gravel scraping over concrete. "Mr. Moretti would like a word."
"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "I have a shift early tomorrow. I need to go home."
"That wasn't a request, Miss Evans." He stepped closer, his body blocking my only avenue of escape. "Please get in the car. It will be much easier if you just get in the car."
Panic surged through me. My hand instinctively went to my stomach, hovering over the manila envelope hidden inside my bag. If Dominic knew. If he found out what I was carrying... he would never let me go. A man who owned half the city and eliminated his enemies without a second thought would not let his bloodline walk away on a Greyhound bus.
"No," I said, taking another step back. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
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I turned to run, but the second man was already behind me. A heavy, warm hand clamped down gently but immovably on my shoulder. "Miss, please. The boss is losing his patience, and you don't want to see him when he loses his patience. We aren't here to hurt you. But you are coming with us."
They flanked me, giving me no choice. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as they guided me into the luxurious, leather-scented interior of the SUV. The doors locked with a heavy, definitive thud, sealing my fate. As the car sped off into the Chicago night, I stared out the tinted window, realizing with a cold dread that my life as a quiet, invisible nurse was officially over.
