Chapter 6 - The Broken Perimeter
Three weeks passed in a state of high-alert suffocating tension. The doctor had confirmed that the pregnancy was healthy, though Norah’s stress levels were dangerously high. Matteo had become a shadow in the house—always present, always watching, but rarely speaking about the child that was growing inside her. He spent his nights in the study, coordinating with his captains, preparing for the war everyone knew was coming.
It came at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday.
The alarm didn't scream; it was a low, rhythmic pulsing red light that flickered on the wall of the master bedroom. Norah woke instantly, her heart hammering against her ribs. The side of the bed next to her was cold; Matteo was already gone.
The door to the bedroom burst open, and Silas stepped inside, his tactical vest buckled, a heavy submachine gun clutched in his hands. "Signora, we have a breach. The southern wall near the old stables. They used EMP devices to kill the security cameras."
"Where is Matteo?" Norah asked, throwing the covers off and grabbing her heavy velvet robe.
"The Don is downstairs with the main defense team," Silas said, his hand reaching out to guide her toward the back closet. "We need to move you to the safe room below the cellar now. They came with heavy ordinance, Norah. This isn't a raid; it's an assassination attempt."
As they reached the grand staircase, the sounds of the night exploded through the heavy glass windows. The crackle of automatic gunfire echoed from the lawn, interspersed with the deep, concussive thud of flashbang grenades. The lights in the chandelier flickered once, twice, then died completely, leaving the hallway illuminated only by the pale moonlight and the red strobe of the emergency system.
"Down!" Silas shouted, shoving Norah behind a marble pillar as a spray of bullets shattered the stained-glass window above the landing.
Through the dust and falling glass, Norah saw three men in black tactical gear advancing up the stairs, their weapons raised. Silas returned fire, his weapon roaring in the confined space, dropping the lead shooter instantly.
But there were too many.
From the shadows of the lower hallway, another group appeared. At the head of them was Derek Vance. His face was a scarred, twisted mask of hatred, his broken wrist set in a heavy black brace that allowed him to hold a small silver pistol with his left hand. Silvano Romano had let him out of his cage, given him a gun, and pointed him toward the estate.
"Norah!" Derek screamed through the darkness, his voice completely unhinged. "You think you're safe here? You think your mafia husband can keep you? I'm taking you back to the valley, bitch!"
Silas turned to engage the shooters on the landing, but a bullet caught him in the shoulder, spinning him around as his weapon clattered down the marble steps. He collapsed against the balustrade, coughing blood but still trying to reach his sidearm with his good hand.
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Norah was alone. She backed away toward the library doors, her hands pressing hard against her stomach, the small life inside her the only thing that kept her from collapsing in pure terror.
"Nowhere to run, Norah," Derek sneered, stepping onto the landing, his silver pistol pointed straight at her chest. "Let's see what your diamond ring is worth now."
