Chapter 6 - The Siege of Ricci Manor
Midnight arrived with the sound of thunder—not from the clouds, but from heavy explosions at the outer perimeter gates of the Ricci estate.
The power inside the manor instantly cut out, replaced by the soft, red glow of emergency backup lights. Sirens blared quietly in the security room.
Matteo was in full tactical gear within seconds. He swept into Sarah's bedroom, where she was clutching a terrified Lily in her arms.
"Matteo! What's happening?" Sarah cried out over the low rumble of gunfire in the distance.
"They're here," Matteo said, his voice rock-steady. He pulled open a hidden panel in the oak wall, revealing a heavily reinforced steel panic room equipped with independent air filtration and surveillance monitors.
He ushered Sarah inside, then turned to Lily.
Lily looked up at him, tears streaming down her face, but she didn't scream. She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Don't leave us, Mr. Matteo. Please."
Matteo knelt, taking both of her tiny hands in his large, scarred palms. He looked into her eyes with an intensity that burned bright through the dim red light.
"Lily, do you remember what you drew?" Matteo asked softly.
She nodded rapidly. "The big shield."
"I am going to step outside and be that shield," Matteo said, his voice filled with absolute conviction. "No one enters this room while I am breathing. Do you trust me?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"Good girl. Go inside with your mother. Lock the door from the inside."
He kissed Sarah on the forehead—a quick, instinctive gesture that surprised them both—before stepping back and letting the heavy steel blast door seal shut with a heavy THUD.
Matteo turned around, drawing twin custom handguns from his holsters. His posture changed. The man who had sat at dinner eating pancakes was gone. In his place stood the ruthless Demon of Boston, the man who had built an empire on blood and fear.
Paul stepped up beside him, flanked by twenty of Matteo's elite, battle-hardened loyalists.
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"Perimeter breach at Gate 2," Paul reported, chambering a round into his assault rifle. "At least thirty armed mercs. Liam O'Connor is leading them personally. He wants your head, Boss."
"He came to the wrong house," Matteo said, a slow, terrifying smile spreading across his face. "Kill them all."
