THE ENGAGEMENT CHARADE

The silence in the garage was deafening, broken only by the sound of our ragged breathing.

Adrian slid out from under the car, pulling me out with him. He looked at the frozen timer, then at me.

“You just saved our lives, Maggie,” Adrian said quietly.

Before we could celebrate, the heavy steel door connecting the garage to the house swung open.

Paulie stood there, holding a detonator in one hand and a gun in the other. He looked frantic, realizing his trap had failed.

“Drop it, Paulie,” Tom said, stepping in front of me.

“You ruined everything, old man!” Paulie screamed, aiming the gun at Tom. “Marcus and I spent ten years building this! We were going to take over the Falcone family tonight!”

Answer One: Paulie and Marcus were orchestrating a full coup, using Vivienne and the boy as the catalyst to wipe out Adrian’s bloodline. Open Two: If Paulie had the gun, how were we going to get out without someone dying?

Adrian slowly raised his hands, stepping forward to draw Paulie’s attention. “It’s over, Paulie. Marcus is tied up upstairs. The offshore accounts are frozen. You have nothing.”

“I have you!” Paulie yelled, pulling back the hammer on his gun.

A reversal. I didn’t wait for Adrian’s guards. I remembered the heavy brass keyring in my pocket.

With all the strength I had, I hurled the heavy metal keyring right at Paulie’s face.

It struck him hard in the forehead. He staggered back, his gun firing wildly into the ceiling.

In a flash, Adrian tackled Paulie to the ground, disarming him with brutal efficiency. The guards rushed forward, securing Paulie in zip ties.

Tom collapsed against the side of the SUV, clutching his chest. The adrenaline was fading, leaving him looking like the tired, broken actor I had known.

I knelt beside him. “Are you okay?”

Tom smiled weakly. “I think I need a new line of work, kid.”

Adrian hauled Paulie to his feet. “Where is my nephew?”

“Upstairs,” Paulie spat. “With the women.”

We rushed back up the stairs, leaving the guards to deal with the explosives.

When we burst into the study, the room was safe. Eleanor was holding little Leo on the sofa, rocking him gently. Vivienne was sitting in a chair, her head in her hands, weeping silently.

Adrian walked over to his nephew. The boy looked up, his dark eyes wide and terrified.

Adrian knelt down, ignoring his ruined suit and the blood on his hands. He took off the silver Falcone ring from his pinky finger and held it out to the boy.

“You’re safe now, Leo,” Adrian said, his voice breaking. “Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. You’re family.”

Leo took the ring, clutching it tightly.

Vivienne looked up, her makeup smeared, her designer dress ruined. “What happens to me now, Adrian?”