Page 6 of Stealing His Christmas Present

I was very close to the campus, and Claudia ran to me with a smile on her face that was brighter than the sun itself.

I wrapped my arms around her as she threw herself into my embrace.

“Lea!” someone shouted just as I was about to kiss Claudia.

It was Stella.

There was no mistake.

I inwardly cursed. She’d figured me out, hadn’t she?

“What?” Claudia spun around to face her sister as Stella glared at me.

“I just got the news. It’s your grandma. She had a heart attack,” Stella said.

An interesting lie. Was she hoping I would believe it? Did she know I was a member of the Red Eagle gang?

Stella dragged Claudia away as passersby watched us with mild curiosity.

I had no choice but to leave and inform my boss that I’d found Stella.

When my phone buzzed, I checked the text I’d gotten and froze.

Kill the guards and the sister. Capture Stella Lombardi and wait for further instructions.

I got my weapons ready and headed back to the campus, my body on autopilot.

Kill Claudia.

It was supposed to be just like any other job. Actually, if I was successful, I’d move up in the ranks for sure.

I should be happy.

Proud.

But I wasn’t.

I was just numb.

It was almost pitch black as I moved through the trees that surrounded the campus. I’d already checked all the potential exits. Since Stella had to be aware I’d figured her and Claudia out, her family must’ve already organized an extraction.

But I was here. I’d stop them from running away.

Since my orders were to capture Stella, that meant she was still valuable to someone somehow.

Maybe to my boss. Or my boss’ partner, Pietro Casas, who’d started this whole thing because he wanted to get revenge on Stella’s husband for what he’d done to his cousin.

Claudia didn’t matter. She was just collateral damage.

I inched closer to the back exit that I was sure the guards were going to use because it made most sense. They were less likely to run into someone in the hallways that led to the back exit, and the parking lot was close by.

I hid behind a bush and prepared my sniper rifle. When I lifted my binoculars, I could see two cars waiting in the parking lot.

Judging by the way they were parked, on this side of the parking lot, with an easy way to get away quickly, they had to be there for Stella and Claudia.

I lowered the binoculars and peered through the scope of my rifle. A few moments later, the door opened.

My finger hovered over the trigger.

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