Chapter 9 - The Final Strike“Get down!” Dante roared, throwing his body over mine and tackling me to the hardwood floor of the balcony.
A deafening THWACK echoed as a high-caliber sniper round ripped through the stone balustrade, shattering the glass sliding doors behind us into a million sparkling shards.
Alarms blared across the estate, red security lights flashing instantly throughout the hallways.
“Clara! Stay low!” Dante commanded, pulling a concealed firearm from his holster behind his back.
Downstairs, heavy gunfire erupted near the front gates.
A rival syndicate—allied with Julianna’s criminal family—was making a desperate, violent bid to take down Dante Russo inside his own fortress.
“Sophia!” I screamed over the blaring alarms.
“Go! Get her to the safe room in my wing on the third floor!” Dante yelled, firing two shots over the balcony ledge at dark figures climbing the courtyard wall. “The code is 0-4-1-2! Lock it from the inside and do not open it for anyone except me!”
I didn't hesitate. I scrambled on my hands and knees through the shattered glass, sprinting down the hallway into Sophia’s room.
Sophia was sitting up in bed, crying hysterically, clutching her stuffed bear as the loud sirens blared.
“Clara! I’m scared!” she sobbed.
“I’m right here, baby!” I scooped her up into my arms, running as fast as my legs could carry me toward the grand staircase.
Guards in tactical gear were sprinting up the stairs, exchanging heavy gunfire with masked intruders who had breached the front foyer. The air was thick with smoke, loud explosions, and shattering glass.
A masked intruder burst through the side hallway, raising a rifle directly toward us.
“Hey!” a guard yelled, tackling the intruder to the floor just as a bullet whistled past my ear, striking the wall behind me.
Adrenaline surged through my veins like fire. I tightened my grip on Sophia, protecting her head against my chest, and sprinted up the stairs to the third floor—Dante’s private wing.
At the end of the long mahogany hallway stood a heavy steel door disguised as a bookcase.
I tapped the keypad frantically with trembling fingers: 0 - 4 - 1 - 2.
The heavy steel door unlocked with a deep pneumatic hiss, sliding open.
I carried Sophia inside. The safe room was reinforced with concrete walls, equipped with security monitors, food supplies, and medical kits.
Before I could hit the internal lock button, a hand slammed against the edge of the heavy steel door, holding it open.
I gasped, grabbing a heavy brass paperweight from the desk, ready to smash whoever stepped through.
The door pushed open, revealing Dante.
His white shirt was torn and covered in soot, blood dripping from a small graze on his forearm, but his eyes were bright, clear, and triumphant.
“It’s over,” Dante breathed, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. “The perimeter is secure. Security took care of them.”
Sophia let out a loud sob and reached her arms out. “Daddy!”
Dante stepped inside, dropping to his knees, and wrapped both of us in a massive, overwhelming embrace. He buried his face in Sophia’s hair, kissing my cheek over and over again.
“You’re safe,” Dante whispered, his voice trembling with deep emotion. “You’re both safe.”
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I dropped the heavy paperweight, wrapping my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder, letting tears of relief spill down my face.
We stayed like that on the floor of the safe room, holding each other tight while the sirens slowly died down outside, knowing that the darkest night had finally passed.
