Chapter 4 - The Battle of Via Marquez
The narrow alleyways of Via Marquez transformed into a fiery warzone within seconds.
Falcone’s gunmen, realizing that their boss had rejected Salvatore’s ultimatum, had launched an all-out assault to eliminate Salvatore before he could mobilize the full strength of the Romano syndicate.
Over twenty Falcone enforcers poured out of the SUVs, laying down a heavy wall of suppressive fire against the bakery building.
However, they had severely underestimated the tactical superiority of the Romano family.
The two guards who had escorted Sophia home—alongside four additional operatives stationed in hidden vehicles nearby—immediately counter-attacked, flanking the Falcone gunmen from the elevated alleyways.
Salvatore descended the central staircase with calm, lethal precision. As three Falcone enforcers kicked open the main entrance of the bakery, Salvatore raised his pistol.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three precise shots ended the breach instantly. The enforcers collapsed across the flour-covered floor of the bakery.
Salvatore stepped out onto the sidewalk into the blinding sunlight, his coat billowing behind him. He fired methodically, advancing toward the enemy SUVs without a single trace of fear or hesitation.
Antonio moved alongside him, wielding a heavy tactical shotgun, clearing the left flank with devastating power.
"They brought thirty men, Don Salvatore!" Antonio barked over the roar of gunfire. "Falcone has allied himself with the rival Corsican cartel!"
"It matters not if he brought an army!" Salvatore roared back, his voice cutting through the chaos. "They fired upon a house containing a child! Erase them all!"
Within seven minutes, the gunfire died down.
The street was littered with shattered glass, spent shell casings, and disabled vehicles. Twelve Falcone enforcers lay incapacitated or dead, while the remaining survivors fled frantically down the alleyways toward the harbor.
Salvatore stood in the middle of the street, uninjured, reloading his pistol with practiced, mechanical efficiency.
The local neighborhood residents—who had been hiding behind closed shutters—slowly opened their windows, looking down in awe at the man who had single-handedly defended their block.
Salvatore turned back toward the bakery entrance. He walked up the stairs to the third floor, holstering his weapon before opening the apartment door.
Sophia was peeking out from beneath the bed frame, holding the silver pocket watch tightly in her small hand.
Salvatore knelt by the doorway, holding out his arms. "It is safe now, Sophia. Come."
Sophia crawled out from under the bed and ran across the room, throwing her small arms around Salvatore’s neck. She didn't care about the smell of gunpowder or the shattered glass in his hair; she knew only that this terrifying man was her absolute protector.
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Salvatore lifted her gently into his arms, carrying her over to her grandmother’s bed.
"We are moving you both to my private estate in Cefalù tonight," Salvatore declared softly. "No one will ever harm you again."
