Chapter 7 - SANCTUARY BREACHED
Chaos erupted. The tranquil kitchen turned into a war zone of shattered glass, pulverized marble, and deafening gunfire.
Storm moved with terrifying speed. He tackled me and Leo to the ground behind the massive granite island, covering our bodies with his own. Dust and debris rained down on us.
"Don't move," he commanded, his voice a steady anchor in the madness. He pulled a sleek, black Glock from the holster beneath his jacket.
"Storm!" I screamed over the gunfire.
"I've got you," he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. He looked at Leo, who had his hands clamped over his ears, his eyes wide but completely dry. "Leo, look at me."
Leo blinked up at him.
"You are a Moretti," Storm said, his eyes burning with intense, protective fire. "You are unbreakable. Stay with your mother. Do not make a sound."
Storm rolled out from behind the counter, returning fire with lethal, calculated precision. I pulled Leo into my chest, wrapping my body around him, praying to a God I hadn't spoken to in years.
The shootout lasted less than three minutes, but it felt like hours. Storm’s guards converged on the house. The sound of tactical boots and shouting filled the air, followed by the screeching of tires as the surviving attackers fled down the mountain road.
When the silence finally fell, it was heavier than the gunfire.
"Clear!" someone shouted from the hallway.
Storm appeared back behind the island. He was covered in glass dust, and a thin line of blood trickled down his cheek from a grazing cut, but his eyes were entirely focused on us.
He dropped the gun, fell to his knees, and pulled us both into his arms. His massive frame shook as he buried his face in my neck.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."
I clung to him, the reality of the violence crashing over me. This was the world I had run from. This was the nightmare.
But as I looked at Storm, bleeding and desperate, I realized he wasn't the nightmare. He was the shield keeping the nightmare at bay.
"We can't stay here," Malcolm said, stepping into the ruined kitchen, stepping over a body I purposefully didn't look at. "They know the location."
Storm stood up, pulling me and Leo up with him. He wiped the blood from his cheek, the vulnerability vanishing instantly.
"Prep the jet," Storm ordered.
May you like
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"We aren't going anywhere," Storm said, looking at me. "You and Leo are going to a bunker in Switzerland. I am going to Chicago to burn a syndicate to the ground."
