Chapter 6 - A Shadow on the Sound
The peace of Blackwood Point was shattered on a Tuesday in late October.
The storm had returned, the wind off Long Island Sound howling through the trees, throwing heavy waves against the cliffs below the manor.
Roman had been called to Manhattan for an emergency meeting with the commission, leaving Gabriel and twelve heavily armed enforcers to guard the estate.
Claire was in the library, reading a story to the triplets, when the lights flickered and died.
Instantly, the mansion’s backup generators kicked in, throwing the rooms into a dim, amber emergency light.
The sound of automatic gunfire echoed from the driveway.
Leo jumped up, his small fists clenched, his face turning pale. Isabella began to cry, burying her face in Claire’s lap, while Mateo stood silently, his eyes fixed on the door.
"Gabriel!" Claire called out, her voice calm but commanding.
The silver-haired butler entered the room, a submachine gun held firmly in his hands. "Mrs. DeLuca, we have a breach. It’s the Moretti remnants. They’ve bypassed the outer gates. You must go to the safe room immediately."
"The safe room is in the basement," Claire said, her mind working with the rapid precision of a chef during a dinner rush. "The kids can't run that fast in the dark. We need to move now."
She lifted Isabella into her arms. "Leo, Mateo, hold onto my skirt. Do not let go. Do not look back."
They moved through the darkened corridors of the manor, guided by Gabriel and two guards. The sound of gunfire grew louder, the glass of the high windows shattering as bullets struck the stone facade.
As they reached the entrance to the basement, a figure stepped out of the shadows.
It was one of the Moretti enforcers, his face covered in a black mask, his weapon pointed directly at Claire.
"Got you," he sneered.
Before he could pull the trigger, Claire swung her heavy leather handbag—filled with the copper kitchen utensils she had been cleaning—directly into his face.
The impact was deafening. The man stumbled back, his nose shattering, his weapon firing wild into the ceiling.
Gabriel finished him with a single, cold shot.
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"A very effective weapon, Mrs. DeLuca," Gabriel remarked, his eyes twinkling in the dim light.
"Copper is excellent for heat conduction," Claire gasped, her heart pounding as she pushed the children into the steel-lined safe room. "And apparently, for self-defense."
