Chapter 6 - The Ultimate Sacrifice
The exit of the tunnel led to an unmarked warehouse near the Hudson River, where a fleet of secure, armored vehicles was waiting. Dominic’s remaining loyal soldiers surrounded us, securing the perimeter as we stepped into the freezing morning air.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
As we walked toward the lead SUV, a sleek black sedan tore through the warehouse gates, its windows rolling down to reveal the barrel of a heavy machine gun. It was Don Maroni himself, desperate, bloody, and seeking to end the Russo line once and for all.
"Take the children and get in the car!" Dominic roared, shoving me toward the open door of the SUV.
Before I could pull him with me, Dominic turned back toward the incoming vehicle, using his own body as a human shield to block the line of sight to the SUV where his daughters were scrambling inside.
The air exploded with the sound of automatic gunfire.
"Dominic, no!" I screamed, reaching out my hand as time seemed to slow down.
I saw the bullets strike his chest, tearing through his dark clothes. He stumbled, his blood spraying onto the pristine white snow, but he refused to fall. With his last ounce of strength, Dominic raised his weapon and fired a single, perfect shot through the windshield of the Maroni sedan. The car veered violently out of control, slamming into a concrete pillar and exploding into a massive ball of fire.
Don Maroni was dead. The war was won.
But Dominic was falling.
I scrambled out of the SUV, falling to my knees in the snow beside him as his body hit the ground. The triplets were screaming from the backseat, their newly found voices filled with absolute agony.
"Dominic! Stay with me! Look at me!" I sobbed, tearing off my sweater to press it against the gaping wounds in his chest. The snow beneath us was rapidly turning a horrific, dark crimson.
He looked up at me, his silver-blue eyes cloudy, his breathing shallow and rattling. He raised a weak, trembling hand, his fingers resting gently against my cheek, leaving a trail of warm blood.
"Clara..." he whispered, his voice fading into the freezing wind. "Take care of my girls. Tell them... tell them Papa loved them. You were the best thing... the only good thing... I ever brought into their lives."
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"No! You are going to tell them yourself!" I cried, my tears falling onto his pale skin. "Don't you dare close your eyes, Dominic Russo! We need you! I need you!"
His hand slipped from my cheek, his eyes slowly closing as his chest stopped moving. The world around me dissolved into pure chaos—sirens wailing in the distance, soldiers shouting, and the heartbroken wailing of three little girls who had just lost their father for the second time.
