Chapter 7 - IN THE CROSSHAIRS
The peace of the morning was shattered by the sound of snapping branches outside.
I shoved Sofia under the bed, motioning for Lily to join her. "Not a sound, girls," I ordered.
I grabbed my rifle and moved to the window. Through the scope, I saw them. Five men in tactical gear, moving through the tree line. The Calabrese hunters had found us.
"Arm up," I told Elena and Marco. Marco struggled to stand, his face pale, but he racked his shotgun.
"They want to take us alive to get the bounty," I said. "We don't give them the chance."
The front door exploded inward in a shower of splinters.
I opened fire, dropping the first two men instantly. Marco fired his shotgun, the blast sending a third man flying off the porch. But there were too many. Smoke grenades crashed through the windows, filling the cabin with blinding, choking white smoke.
Through the haze, I saw a massive enforcer grab Elena by the hair, dragging her toward the door.
"Adrian!" she screamed.
I dropped the rifle, drew a hunting knife from my belt, and launched myself across the room. I tackled the enforcer through the broken window, sending us both crashing onto the porch. We rolled, trading brutal punches. He was bigger, but he was fighting for money. I was fighting for my family.
I drove the knife into his collarbone, twisted, and kicked him off the porch.
Breathing heavily, I rushed back inside. Elena was coughing, guarding the bedroom door with her gun raised, refusing to let anyone near the twins.
"Are they clear?" I shouted.
May you like
"Clear!" Marco yelled, clutching his bleeding side.
"Grab the girls," I told Elena. "We are going on the offensive. No more hiding."
