Chapter 4 - Fire in the Night
The halls of the Vale estate had transformed into a warzone. The smell of gunpowder and burning wood filled the air as Hannah raced down the second-floor corridor. Screams and heavy gunfire echoed from below.
She slammed open the nursery door. The three girls were sitting in their cribs, crying hysterically as the terrifying noise filled the room.
"It's okay! Mommy's here!" Hannah cried, using the word naturally for the very first time.
She ran to the cribs, scooping Lily and Grace into her arms, while Emma clung tightly to her neck. She stumbled toward the heavy oak wardrobe against the far wall. Pushing aside the silk dresses hanging inside, she found the hidden keypad Dominic had described. She punched in the code—Dominic had barked it at her during their sprint—and the false wall slid open, revealing a small, steel-lined bunker equipped with security monitors and emergency supplies.
She ushered the girls inside. "Stay here, sweeties! Stay quiet!"
Just as Hannah turned to pull the false wardrobe door shut, a heavy boot kicked the nursery door off its hinges.
A tall, masked soldier carrying a suppressed assault rifle stepped into the room. He spotted Hannah standing near the wardrobe.
"Found the girl!" the man shouted into his radio. "And the kids are here!"
He raised his rifle, aiming directly at Hannah's chest. "Step away from the closet, lady, or I put a bullet in your head. Don Moretti wants the kids back."
Fear seized Hannah's heart, but as she heard the terrified whimpers of her three daughters behind her, something primitive and fierce awakened inside her soul. She wasn't just a timid waitress from Queens anymore. She was a mother protecting her young.
"Touch them and I'll kill you!" Hannah screamed.
She grabbed a heavy brass floor lamp standing beside the armchair and swung it with all her strength. The heavy base struck the soldier across the side of his helmet, knocking him off balance. His rifle discharged into the ceiling, showering the room with plaster dust.
The soldier roared in anger, grabbing Hannah by her hair and throwing her violently across the room. She hit the floor, her shoulder throbbing with blinding pain. The soldier drew a combat knife from his tactical vest and stalked toward her.
"Bitch," he spat, raising the blade.
BOOM!
The soldier's head snapped backward as a high-caliber bullet shattered his helmet, spraying dark blood against the wallpaper. He collapsed to the floor like a sack of rocks.
Dominic stepped through the doorway, smoke rising from the barrel of his modified handgun. His tailored suit was torn, stained with dirt and blood, but his eyes were pure, unadulterated fire.
He didn't hesitate. He rushed to Hannah, dropping to his knees and cupping her face in his large, warm hands. "Are you hurt? Did he touch you?"
"I'm... I'm okay," Hannah gasped, clutching her bruised shoulder. "The girls... they're safe inside!"
Dominic looked past her into the hidden room. Lily, Grace, and Emma were huddled together, looking out at their parents with wide, teary eyes. When they saw Dominic, Grace held out her tiny hands.
"Papa!" Grace cried out.
Dominic froze. The word struck his heart harder than any bullet ever could. His eyes welled with tears as he reached into the bunker, pulling all three of his daughters into his chest, squeezing them tightly while Hannah leaned against his shoulder.
"I've got you," Dominic whispered into their soft hair, his voice breaking. "Papa's got you."
Marco entered the room a moment later, holding a bleeding arm wrapped in a tourniquet. "Boss, we repelled the first wave, but Moretti called in reinforcements. They've blocked the main roads. We can't stay here. The Westchester property is compromised."
Dominic stood up, wiping the blood from his cheek. His posture hardened once more into that of a commanding general. "Prepare the armored convoy. We are leaving New York tonight."
May you like
"Where are we going, Mr. Vale?" Marco asked.
Dominic looked at Hannah, who was holding Emma close to her chest. "To the sanctuary in the Adirondacks. No one knows about the lodge except me. We lock it down until I hunt down every single Moretti soldier in this city."
