Chapter 5 - The Glass Shards
Elena did not have the luxury of hesitation. She spotted a discarded iron tire iron half-buried in the mud near the curb. Wrapping her hand in the corner of her apron, she drove the metal tip into the rear quarter-panel window—the smallestpane, farthest from where Leo rested against her chest.
The glass shattered with a sharp, muted pop. Carefully reaching inside, she unlocked the door, set Leo down safely on the floorboard wrapped in a thick wool blanket from the back seat, and leaned across the center console to grab the phone and the baby bag.
Tucked into the ignition was the spare valet key. Julian had planned ahead; he had left it there knowing she might have to drive alone.
Her hands shook violently as she twisted the ignition. The engine purred to life, smooth and silent. She glanced down at Arthur Vance’s incoming call. The ringing stopped, replaced instantly by a text notification:
I have Julian in custody. If you do not deliver the boy to my estate within forty-eight hours, I will ensure Julian is charged with federal kidnapping. You have until midnight tomorrow.
Elena pulled the car into gear and turned out into the streaming traffic, her heart pounding in her ears. Arthur Vance had immense political leverage; an ambitious district attorney would gladly charge Julian if Arthur pulled the right strings. A conviction would destroy Julian forever.
She checked the rearview mirror. Leo had finally begun to cry—a thin, hungry wail that cut through the silence of the car.
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""I know, baby,"" Elena murmured, tears blurring the brake lights ahead. ""I know. We're going to get Daddy back.""
She knew South Station wasn't safe anymore; Arthur's men would be watching the transit hubs. Instead, she turned the wheel toward the old river road—toward the one person Arthur Vance could never buy.
