Chapter 5 - THE SIEGE
Before I could process his words, the lights in the master suite instantly cut out, plunging us into total darkness.
A second later, the red emergency backup lights flickered on, casting a bloody glow across the room. The deafening wail of the security alarms pierced the air.
“Boss!” Matteo’s voice crackled frantically over Alessandro’s radio. “The Romanos triggered a preemptive strike! They blew the front gates. We have multiple heavily armed hostiles entering the courtyard!”
Alessandro drew a matte-black pistol from his waistband, his demeanor shifting instantly from a weary man to a ruthless general. “Hold the chokepoints. I’m securing the package.”
He turned to me. “Wake the child. Now.”
I ran to the bed and scooped up Emma, who was crying in confusion. “Mommy, it’s loud.”
“I know, baby, it’s okay,” I hushed her, my heart hammering against my ribs.
May you like
Alessandro grabbed my hand. His grip was firm, grounding me. “We are moving to the panic room. Stay exactly behind me.”
We rushed into the hallway. The air already smelled of smoke and cordite. Below us, the grand staircase had turned into a warzone. Gunfire echoed through the marble corridors, the flashes of automatic weapons lighting up the dark foyer.
