Elodie kept herposure, eyes fixed on the sports car blocking the road.
By now, she was almost certain this was a deliberate interception.
"This isn''t good," muttered her colleague beside her, a tall ck man who suddenly frowned. "I recognize the guy standing in front. He''s a notorious boss in this area-connected to one of the Italian families."
Elodie''s brow furrowed. There were more than enough men on the other side, and their exact motive was still unclear.
And someone who drove a car that expensive-were they after money?
Probably not.
"We have firearms, right?" Elodie nced at the car doors. All locked.
She couldn''t shake the feeling that these people were more dangerous than the mortars they''d escaped earlier.
"We do," her colleague replied, "but if we go toe-to-toe with them... I don''t like our chances."
Elodie got the message. There was little hope of getting away clean today.
Just then, the door of the sports car opened.
A man stepped out-mid-thirties, ssic European features, but striking in his
own way. His expensive clothes set him apart from everyone else.
The moment he appeared, her colleague''s eyes widened. "Is that someone from the Quinn family?"
Elodie turned to him, puzzled. "The Quinn family?"
She knew nothing about the criminal underworld here.
"One of those old Italian families. Their reach is far, and they''re known for being ruthless."
"What are they doing here...?" Sweat broke out on her colleague''s brow.
The situation had just be a lot moreplicated.
Elodie gripped her phone tightly, anxiety twisting in her chest.
She desperately needed to get out of this dead zone and contact Jarrod, but right now, that felt impossible.
"Ms. Thorne, please wait," her colleague said quietly. "Let me try to negotiate with them first."
She nodded, her expression grave. "Be careful.”
Elodie couldn''t make out what was being said outside. She only saw the so-called Quinn family man, his expression cold and sinister.
Not good.
Her mind raced for a n, but then she saw armed men moving toward their car.
Staying calm, Elodie kept one hand out of sight, trying to get a signal on her phone.
Suddenly, the white man was
standing fight outside her window, grinning in a way that made her skin crawl His green eyes glittered as he rapped on the ss, gesturing for herto get out.
?
Elodie''s nerves were stretched taut.
This day had already veered off script, but these men-the danger they exuded was something else entirely.
She stayed put.
The man outside quickly lost patience, his curses and threatsing rapid-fire as he demanded she open the door.
Elodie''s face remained tense but betrayed no fear. She was weighing her options when, out of nowhere, another convoy rolled up.
Several vehicles stopped a short distance away, drawing the attention of the men outside.
Elodie watched as a group from the new arrivals walked straight over to the man from the sports car. The two sides exchanged words, and after awhile, the man shot a look back at Elodie''s vehicle, his expression suddenly thoughtful.
No idea what they discussed.
Momentster, her local colleague returned to the car, visibly shaken but grinning with relief. "They''re here to save us! It''s all settled-we can leave safely now. Ms. Thorne, i anything happened to you here, not even our president could exin it to your country!"
He knew full well how sensitive Elodie''s position was nothing could be allowed to happen to her.
Elodie, however, kept her gaze on the neers. "Who are they?"
Her colleague shook his head. "Regr army, from what I can tell. No idea why
the Quinn guy agreed to let us go. Maybe they struck some kind of deal." Elodie''s instincts told her something was off.
But it wasn''t just about her-there were several cars, all carrying colleagues. The decision wasn''t hers alone.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting everyone out of danger. She had to find a way to contact Jarrod, or she''d never have peace of mind. There was no time to hesitate.