Chapter 7 - The Unravelling Conspiracy
Outside on the rain-slicked highway, the battle was swift and brutal.
Antoine moved with terrifying precision. He flanked the first SUV, firing through the windshield with deadly accuracy before two Moretti gunmen could even raise their weapons. Donovan and the Maro security detail pushed forward, laying down suppressing fire that pinned the attackers against the highway guardrails.
Inside the limousine, Dela stayed crouched over the baby seats. Little Mia started to cry, terrified by the loud explosions outside.
Dela pulled the baby against her chest, despite the constant thud of stray bullets hitting the armored vehicle. She began to hum—loudly, fiercely, her voice rising above the sounds of gunfire and sirens.
“Mm-mm-mm... sleep my sweet, sleep my child...”
Leo and Luca, who had begun to whimper, looked at Dela’s calm face. Hearing her steady, rhythmic melody, their panicked breathing began to slow down. They held onto her dress, burying their tiny faces into her waist.
Outside, the last of the Moretti shooters dropped to the pavement.
Antoine reloaded his weapon, his face covered in rain and soot. He turned and sprinted back to the limousine, ripping the door open.
When he looked inside, his heart stopped.
Dela was sitting on the floor of the limo, cradling all three babies in her lap, humming softly as blood trickled down her shoulder. A piece of flying shrapnel from a blown tire had grazed her upper arm through the green silk dress.
“Dela!” Antoine roared, dropping his gun and scrambling inside. He dropped to his knees, his hands trembling as he checked her shoulder. “God, Dela! You’re hurt!”
Dela looked up at him, her eyes tired but fierce. “The babies... are they safe? Did they get hit?”
Antoine looked at his three children, who were completely unharmed, clinging to Dela as if she were an impenetrable shield.
Tears sprang to Antoine’s eyes—the first tears he had shed in over a decade. He wrapped his massive arms around Dela and the triplets, pulling all four of them into a tight, desperate embrace.
“You shielded them,” Antoine whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “You took a bullet for my children...”
“I promised I’d protect them,” Dela murmured, leaning her head against his broad chest. “I will always protect them.”
Antoine pulled back slightly, staring into her eyes with an intensity so strong it shook her to her core. He didn't care about the rain, the blood, or the burning vehicles on the highway.
He leaned in and kissed her.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was deep, desperate, and filled with a raw, overwhelming passion that took Dela’s breath away. She melted into him, her hand tangling in his dark hair, kissing him back with everything she had.
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When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against hers, his breathing heavy.
“No one will ever harm you again, Dela,” Antoine swore, his voice a lethal promise. “I am going to end this war tonight.”
