Chapter 3 - Unmasking the Maid
We moved through the damp, narrow passageway beneath the estate just as explosions rocked the floors above us.
Ashford House was burning.
I carried Ava on my back, while Emma held tightly to Claire’s hand.
Once we reached the storm drain exit a mile out, I shoved Claire against the concrete wall, my forearm pressing against her collarbone.
"Who the hell are you?" I growled.
Claire didn't fight back, but she didn't cower either.
"I'm the woman keeping your children alive," she stated calmly. "Take your arm off me, Mr. Vale."
"The agency said you were a former nanny," I pressed harder. "Nannies don't do field surgery. Nannies don't map escape routes."
"The agency forged my papers. You pay them enough, they don't ask questions."
I glared into her eyes. "Give me one reason not to leave you in this tunnel."
"Because I used to be the lead trauma surgeon for the Reyes Cartel," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Until Marcus's splinter group slaughtered them to cover his tracks. I’ve been hiding in plain sight ever since."
I slowly lowered my arm.
The Reyes massacre happened three years ago. The exact same week my wife's car exploded.
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"You knew Marcus was planning this?" I asked.
"I recognized him when I started working for you," Claire adjusted her collar. "I didn't know when he would strike. But I prepared."
