Chapter 7 - SHATTERED ILLUSIONS
Gunfire popped in rapid, muffled succession. From her position on the floor, Clara watched as Dominic Vale burst through the lounge doors, flanked by three of Arthur's men, returning fire with brutal precision. The polished floor became slick with blood and spilled liquor.
Arthur remained crouched over Clara, his massive body acting as a human shield against the crossfire. A bullet sparked off the brass rail just inches from his head, but he didn't even flinch. He pulled a sleek black handgun from his shoulder holster, blindly firing two shots over the bar that were met with a heavy, wet thud.
Suddenly, Sato vaulted over a nearby table, a knife gleaming in his hand, lunging directly toward Arthur's blind side. Clara didn't think; she reacted on pure instinct. She grabbed a shattered, jagged bottle of gin from the floor and swung it upward with all her might. The jagged glass sliced deep into Sato's forearm, forcing him to drop the blade with a scream of agony. The distraction was all Arthur needed. He pivoted, grabbing Sato by the throat and slamming him brutally into the marble wall, ending the threat instantly.
The gunfire ceased. The lounge was filled with groans and the acrid smell of gunpowder. Dominic stepped forward, zip-tying the surviving assassins.
"Are you hurt?" Arthur demanded, dropping Sato and dropping to his knees in front of Clara. His hands frantically checked her face, her arms, desperately searching for blood on the emerald silk.
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"I'm fine, Arthur, I'm okay," she gasped, adrenaline shaking her frame. She looked at his shoulder, her heart stopping. The pristine white fabric of his tuxedo shirt was rapidly turning a dark, terrible crimson. "You're bleeding! You're shot!"
"It's just a graze," he grunted, though his face was pale. He pulled her into his chest, burying his face in her hair, breathing heavily. Right there, surrounded by shattered glass and defeated enemies, the terrifying mafia boss held a waitress as if she were the most precious thing in the entire world. The illusion of her safe, predictable life was entirely shattered, but as she clung to his ruined tuxedo, she realized she had never felt safer in her entire life.
