Page 30 of Morally Corrupt

She's mine. She's finally mine.

THREE YEARS LATER

10

BIANCA

It’s party time—aka murder time.

I adjust the grip on my rifle and scan the area. I knew I had to be here earlier than the designated time to do a full swipe for potential dangers.

For my spot, I've chosen a small hotel a few blocks from the port where the meeting is about to take place. I'd scouted the area a few days back and calculated the angles and range to be fully prepared for any outcome.

My shooting skills won't beat any distance records, but I can hold my own against any Army-trained sniper. I've been coached by one my entire life. Drew, my bodyguard since I was a little girl, is ex-military. He's also the father I never had, even though my own is very much still alive.

The keyword isstill. Drew has spent years training me when no one is around to question my activities, and I've taken my lessons seriously.

As I look around the docks and areas where potential shooters might hide, I hit the jackpot. Two men, at twelve o'clock and eight o'clock, are on their stomachs with their gears ready. The position of their rifles tells me they aren't even looking for other targets, but the one set to arrive… now.

Two black cars pull up between the shipping containers. Three people get out from the first one: two nasty-looking men who appear to be bodyguards and then another shorter man in a tailored suit.

That must be Martinez.

I know all about this meeting and its purpose, which is why I'm here. You don't do business with a cartel and expect them to honor their safety assurances. Even I know that.

Just as I know that the man who steps out of the second car hasn't even considered the possibility that this could be a setup.

He is, after all, buying information from the second in command of a fucking cartel. He's dressed in a sleek shirt and fitted pants that emphasize his physique and make my insides burn even now.

Focus, I tell myself.

The second man, Theo, has a briefcase in his hands. He takes a few steps towards Martinez, and words are exchanged. I hear them, but they don't know or need to know that.Theo opens the suitcase to show rows and rows of cash, to which Martinez removes a flash drive from his jacket. It's all about to go down. I quickly turn to the other men and note their tense positions. They're about to shoot.

My finger squeezes the trigger with practiced speed. Once, twice. They drop dead. The shots have alerted the others to the presence of another sniper. The bodyguards are now in shooting position, and I know that the next few seconds are invaluable. Target set and target down. I get one bodyguard and am glad to see Theo seek cover. I don't care about the other bodyguard, but Martinez won't make it alive. He dared to threaten Theo's life, and that makes him a dead man.

I take a few breaths and scan my surroundings. He hides, that motherfucker. Knowing he must have taken refuge behind the car, I take a couple of random shots to draw him out in the open. He must have taken the bait because he runs towards one container to his right, all the while ignoring his bodyguard's warnings. I don't hesitate, putting a bullet right through his skull—a kill shot.

I breathe out, relieved. Screeching car tires alert me to Theo driving away.

Yes, run!

Pulling myself to my knees, I take apart my rifle and store it in the violin case I use as cover.

Quickly, I hurry from the roof and into the staircase where I change into my disguise. I put on the wig, an elegant bob with straight bangs.

I add a pair of spectacles and fake braces. Then I take off my blazer to reveal the high school uniform to one of the schools in the area.

No one will question my guise. In this outfit, I now look completely underage. Taking my violin case, I exit the hotel and hail a cab.

I stop at Chinatown and walk around for a half hour before taking another cab to Midtown, where I've left my car. Once I'm behind the wheel, I quickly shed my disguise and go to my spare apartment to deposit all the materials. Not lingering more than necessary, I then hop in my car once again, going home.

The moment I'm inside the penthouse, a voice greets me.

"Darling?"

"Yes," I answer and turn to see my husband walking towards me with a strange expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" I ask as he takes me into his arms and holds me as if there's no tomorrow.

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