Chapter 5 - Breach at the Estate
"Code Black!" Matteo shouted as he burst through the double doors, his sidearm already drawn. "Perimeter fence compromised! They’re inside the west wing!"
Damiano was on his feet instantly. In one smooth motion, he scooped Emma up in his left arm while drawing a sleek black handgun from beneath his shoulder holster with his right.
"Sophia, behind me!" he ordered, his voice cold and devoid of fear.
We scrambled through a hidden door hidden behind a massive tapestry, entering a narrow service stairwell lined with reinforced concrete. Above us, the sounds of automatic gunfire and shattered glass rattled the structure.
"How many?" Damiano asked Matteo as we hurried down the stairs toward the sub-basement secure bunker.
"At least twenty mercenaries," Matteo reported, keeping his eyes on the rear. "They used smoke screen devices to blind the outer guard posts. It’s a coordinated hit, Boss. Vance hired professional contractors."
"They aren't here to kill us," Damiano stated grimly, holding Emma tight against his chest. Emma had her face buried in his shoulder, her tiny hands clutching his crisp white collar. "They’re here for the girl."
We reached the heavy blast doors of the underground bunker. Matteo swiped a keycard and entered a multi-digit passcode. The heavy steel door hissed open, revealing a fully fortified panic room equipped with monitors, communications gear, and survival supplies.
"Get them inside," Damiano commanded, passing Emma to me.
I pulled Emma close, but as Damiano stepped back into the corridor, terror seized my heart. "Where are you going?"
"To finish this," he said calmly, pulling a tactical vest over his dress shirt. "They brought war to my home, Sophia. It’s time I reminded Chicago why New York belongs to the Moretti family."
"Damiano, please—" I reached out, grabbing his sleeve, echoing the exact gesture Emma had made the day before.
He looked down at my hand, then up at my eyes. For a split second, the cold killer facade vanished, replaced by an intense heat that left me breathless. He leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my forehead.
"Stay inside. Lock the doors from the panel," he whispered against my skin. "I'll be back for you."
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The blast door sealed shut, leaving us in the secure silence of the bunker. On the wall monitors, I watched in stunned awe as live camera feeds showed Damiano and his men moving with terrifying precision through the mansion halls, cutting down the invaders one by one.
He was a monster to his enemies, but to us... he was a shield.
