Chapter 11 - The Bait
Gabriel stared at Elena in disbelief. "Absolutely not. Walking into the Plaza is suicide. If Julian gets his hands on you..."
"He won't," Elena interrupted, stepping closer to Gabriel, refusing to back down. "Julian’s power comes from his pristine reputation. If I walk into that ballroom, alive, lucid, and in front of the mayor, the press, and his investors, he can't touch me without destroying his own empire."
"And the cartel assassins?" Gabriel challenged.
"That is where you come in," she said softly. "I will be the bait. I will draw Julian out. While all eyes are on me, you and your men can isolate him and dismantle his security."
Gabriel looked into her eyes. He saw the trauma of the last three years, but he also saw an unbreakable, blinding resolve. She was no longer a victim; she was a queen preparing for war.
"If anything happens to you," Gabriel whispered, the distance between them closing until he could feel her breath, "I will burn this city to the bedrock."
"Then make sure you don't miss," Elena whispered back.
The plan was set. Silas spent the night hacking into the Plaza’s security feeds, while Dante armed the strike team. Gabriel spent the evening with Elena in the estate’s armory.
He handed her a small, silver .38 caliber pistol. It was cold and heavy.
"I don't know how to use this," Elena said, her hands shaking slightly.
May you like
Gabriel stood behind her, wrapping his large, warm hands over hers. He guided her arms up, correcting her stance. "You point, you pull the trigger, and you do not hesitate. Julian hesitated. That is why he will lose."
His chest was pressed against her back, his breath brushing her ear. Elena closed her eyes for a moment, drawing strength from his unyielding presence. Tomorrow, she would face her monster.
