Chapter 11 - The Croft Family's Last Stand
At 4:15 AM, the black, muffled hulls of three high-speed tactical boats slid silently through the fog off Lake Michigan, approaching the Romano estate’s private stone dock.
Twelve heavily armed mercenaries, clad in black tactical gear and carrying suppressed automatic rifles, stepped onto the wet dock.
They never took a second step.
From the high limestone bluff fifty yards above, four suppressed Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles fired in unison.
The heavy, armor-piercing rounds tore through the mercenaries with terrifying precision. Within forty-five seconds, without a single alarm sounding or a single bullet striking the main house, the entire assault team was eradicated. The three boats were boarded by Romano soldiers, turned around, and scuttled in the deep waters of the lake.
In the master suite, Chloe slept peacefully, her hand resting on the open velvet box on the nightstand containing the emerald-cut diamond ring.
Arthur walked back into the bedroom at dawn, smelling faintly of crisp lake air and morning dew. He slid back into bed beside her, pulling her warm, soft body against his chest.
May you like
Chloe stirred, turning into his embrace with a sleepy murmur. “Arthur... where did you go?”
“Just checking the locks, sweetheart,” he whispered, kissing her nose. “Go back to sleep. Everything is safe.”
