Chapter 3: The Viper in the Nest
The peace didn't last. The attack on the diner hadn't been random; it had been an inside job.
Vincent’s lieutenant, a man named Salvo, was ambitious. He saw Vincent’s devotion to Lily as a weakness, a chink in the armor of the Callahan empire. If he could take out the waitress—the woman who had become the emotional center of the household—he could destabilize Vincent.
Nora felt the shift in the house before she heard it. The security was tighter. The guards were whispering.
She was in the kitchen, helping the cook prepare dinner, when she heard voices in the study. The door was slightly ajar.
"The girl is the key, Salvo," a voice hissed. "The waitress is making him soft. He’s distracted. If we take the girl, he’ll come running. And that’s when we finish it."
Nora’s blood ran cold. She backed away, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had to warn Vincent. She had to get Lily out.
She ran to the nursery, grabbing Lily and pulling her under the bed. "Listen to me, sunshine," Nora whispered, her voice fierce. "We’re going to play the quietest game of hide-and-seek ever. You don't make a sound, no matter what. Understand?"
Lily nodded, her eyes wide.
Nora slipped out of the room, her eyes scanning the hallway. She saw Salvo’s men moving toward the wing. They had guns drawn.
She wasn't a hero. She was a waitress. But she had something they didn't: she knew this house now. She grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and pulled the pin.
When the first guard turned the corner, she didn't scream. She sprayed him full in the face, the white foam blinding him, and hit him with the metal canister with every ounce of strength she had left. He went down.
She grabbed his radio. "Vincent! Study! They’re in the house! They’re coming for her!"
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She didn't wait for an answer. She ran back to the nursery, barricading the door with a heavy dresser, and stood in front of the bed, a fireplace poker in her hands.
"Try me," she whispered to the door.
