Chapter 5 - THE SAFE ROOM
Glass rained down on us like diamonds in the dark. Vincent’s heavy body covered mine entirely, shielding me from the shrapnel.
“Dante!” Vincent barked into the radio on his wrist. “Status!”
“Breach on the helipad, Boss! Bellini hit squad. They bypassed the lower security!” Dante’s voice crackled through the static, punctuated by the staccato rhythm of return fire. “Get to the panic room. We’ll hold them off.”
Vincent hauled me to my feet. “Where’s Lily?”
“In the bedroom!” I screamed, panic clawing at my throat.
We ran through the smoke-filled corridor. The smell of cordite and burning drywall stung my eyes. I threw open the bedroom door to find Lily sitting up in bed, crying, clutching her rabbit. I scooped her into my arms, sobbing in relief.
Vincent grabbed my hand, pulling us toward his private office. He pressed his palm against a hidden scanner behind a painting, and a heavy steel door slid open. He shoved us inside, stepping in after us and sealing the door. The absolute silence of the safe room was deafening after the chaos outside.
It was a steel vault equipped with monitors, weapons, and medical supplies. Vincent immediately went to the monitors, his face bathed in the blue light of the screens as he watched his men dismantle the hit squad.
I sat on a leather cot, rocking Lily until her cries turned into hiccups. I was shaking violently.
Vincent turned away from the screens. He walked over, knelt in front of us, and did something I never expected a mafia boss to do. He gently took Lily from my trembling arms and held her.
“Shh, piccola,” he whispered, his large hand stroking her hair. “It’s over. The bad men are gone.”
To my astonishment, Lily buried her face in his neck and instantly calmed down. I watched them, tears blurring my vision.
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“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Why risk your life for a maid?”
Vincent looked up at me, his dark eyes intense and entirely stripped of their usual guarded armor. “Because you’re not just a maid, Elena. And I’ve spent my whole life surrounded by people who would lie to me for power. You risked your life to tell me the truth. That makes you the most valuable thing in my world.”
