Chapter 18 - The Sins of the Father
Gabriel accepted the spare tactical pistol Ethan handed him, rising to his feet despite his fractured ribs.
The pain in his body was completely eclipsed by the burning, unstoppable adrenaline flooding his system.
The courtyard was heavily littered with the bodies of the Volkov syndicate, their ambush completely dismantled.
Gabriel's dark eyes scanned the chaotic area, tracking a fleeing figure attempting to slip away into the dark alleys.
He left Ethan to finish securing the perimeter and sprinted after the retreating platinum blonde hair.
Anya was running frantically toward a waiting getaway car, her earlier arrogance entirely replaced by sheer, desperate terror.
Gabriel cut off her escape path, stepping out from behind a rusted crane and aiming his weapon directly at her chest.
Anya froze, her chest heaving violently as she stared down the barrel of the gun.
"Go ahead and shoot me, Mercer!" Anya screamed hysterically, raising her arms in a defiant, dramatic gesture.
"Kill me just like you killed my father, and prove that you are nothing but a savage monster!"
Gabriel kept his hand perfectly steady, his finger resting lightly against the cold metal trigger.
The old Gabriel, the ruthless mafia boss from five years ago, would have put a bullet directly between her eyes without a single thought.
But as he looked at the pathetic, hateful woman, he suddenly thought of Leah's gentle smile and Noah's innocent laughter.
If he pulled this trigger, he would invite the endless cycle of violence back into his soul forever.
Gabriel slowly lowered his weapon, clicking the safety back into place with a loud, distinct snap.
"I am not going to carry your father's sins anymore, Anya," Gabriel stated with absolute, unwavering clarity.
Suddenly, the wail of dozens of police sirens echoed loudly through the deserted shipyard.
Leah had brilliantly forwarded all the digital evidence of Anya's cyber-terrorism and explosive threats directly to the FBI.
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Federal agents swarmed the alleyway, tackling a screaming, completely defeated Anya to the wet pavement.
Gabriel turned his back on the ruins of the Volkov legacy and walked slowly toward the exit, finally truly free.
