Chapter 5 - The Fortress on the Lake|
The black armored SUV broke through the storm-slicked streets of Chicago at eighty miles an hour, its dark windows reflecting the neon glow of the city.
Naomi sat on the leather bench seat beside Raymond, keeping a firm grip on his bandage while Marcus drove, his eyes darting frantically between the side mirrors and his encrypted satellite phone.
Thirty minutes later, the SUV turned off the highway onto a private coastal road, passing through a set of massive wrought-iron gates flanked by armed men in tactical gear.
The Lockwood estate sat on a cliff overlooking the dark, wild waters of Lake Michigan. It was a sprawling mansion of stone, steel, and bulletproof glass—less of a residence and more of an impenetrable military fortress.
The vehicle slammed to a halt under the wide marble portico.
"Get Dr. Vance," Marcus shouted into his radio as he opened the SUV door. "Tell him the boss is back, and he's tore his side!"
Four men in suits moved forward to carry Raymond, but Raymond pushed them back with a single, furious swing of his arm.
"Don't touch me," Raymond growled, his gray eyes flashing with terrifying authority despite his deathly pale skin. He turned his eyes to Naomi, extending his hand. "Naomi. Help me up."
Naomi looked at his open palm, then at the four broad-shouldered mobsters staring at her in utter shock.
She took his hand.
His grip closed around hers—warm, calloused, and absolute.
He leaned heavily on her shoulder as she guided him up the wide marble steps into the grand foyer of his house.
The interior was magnificent—soaring ceilings, dark hardwood floors, and priceless artwork hanging in the shadows. But beneath the luxury lay the undeniable stench of war: tactical radios buzzing near the doors, weapons cases sitting open on the long mahogany tables, and men carrying assault rifles patrolling the corridors.
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This was Raymond Lockwood’s kingdom. The thin, bruised boy who had bled against the high school wall ten years ago was now the King of the Chicago Underworld.
And she was standing directly in the center of his court.
