Chapter 6 - BLOOD TIES AND BROKEN VOWS
Gunfire shattered the crystal chandelier, raining glass down on the ruined feast.
Alessandro dove to the side, drawing his customized 1911 pistol in a blur of motion. He fired twice through the overturned table, hearing a satisfying cry of pain as one of Lorenzo’s men dropped to the floor.
Matteo was a machine, moving with lethal efficiency from the doorway. He put two rounds into the chest of a traitorous captain before a third man returned fire. Matteo grunted, stumbling backward as a bullet grazed his shoulder.
“Matteo, secure the perimeter!” Alessandro roared over the deafening cracks of gunfire.
Lorenzo was crawling toward the terrace doors, using his dying men as cover. He kicked the French doors open, disappearing into the dark, rain-swept gardens of the estate.
The brief firefight ended in less than thirty seconds. Four men lay dead on the Persian rug. The rest of the captains, loyal to Alessandro, emerged from cover, weapons drawn and breathing heavily.
“Lock down the grounds,” Alessandro commanded, stepping over a body without a second glance. “Hunt him down. But bring him to me alive. I want to look him in the eyes when I end this.”
He turned to Matteo, who was pressing a hand against his bleeding shoulder. “Are you operational?”
“It’s a scratch, boss,” Matteo rasped.
“Good. Get to the west wing. Ensure the reinforced door to my study is secure. Lorenzo knows about the woman and the child. He knows they are witnesses. If he can’t kill me, he’ll try to hurt me by killing them.”
May you like
A cold dread spiked in Alessandro’s chest. For sixteen years, he had cared about nothing but the empire. He had no wife, no children, no vulnerabilities. But suddenly, the thought of the little girl with the battered rabbit and the courageous woman with the tired eyes being harmed terrified him more than his own death.
He reloaded his weapon and stepped out into the stormy night.
