Chapter 6 - Shadows Piercing the Sanctuary Gates
Dominic shifted from tender protector to ruthless warlord in a fraction of a second.
He shoved Chloe behind him, drawing a customized matte-black semi-automatic pistol from beneath his jacket before the door had fully opened.
“Take her to the safe room under the cellar,” Dominic ordered Leo, his voice hard as tempered steel. “Lock down the blast doors. Do not open them for anyone except me.”
“Dominic, no!” Chloe cried, grabbing his forearm. The raw panic in her voice surprised even herself. “Don't go out there!”
Dominic paused. He turned to look at her, his expression unreadable, then reached out and cupped her face in his free hand, pressing a fierce, possessive kiss to her forehead.
“This is my home, little bird,” he growled softly against her skin. “No one enters my house and threatens what is mine. Now go with Leo.”
Gunfire erupted in the distance—the sharp, staccato bark of automatic rifles echoing from the front courtyard. Leo grabbed Chloe’s hand and pulled her through the grand corridors, moving with shocking speed despite his massive frame.
They descended into the wine cellar, where Leo pulled a heavy iron lever disguised as a bottle rack. A section of the stone wall slid open, revealing a reinforced steel bunker equipped with security monitors, food supplies, and medical kits.
“Get in, Miss Bennett,” Leo commanded, pushing her inside.
“You’re not staying?” Chloe asked, wide-eyed.
“My place is beside the Don,” Leo said, cocking his weapon. “Stay down. The door locks automatically.”
The heavy steel door sealed shut with a deafening hydraulic hiss.
Chloe was left alone in the cold room, her eyes fixed on the wall of security monitors.
On the screens, she watched the nightmare unfold. Black-clad mercenaries were advancing across the manicured lawns, throwing flash grenades and firing into the estate’s ground floor.
Then she saw Dominic.
He moved through the smoke like a shadow. Every shot he fired was precise, lethal, and merciless. He commanded his men with hand signals and swift tactical movements, outflanking the attackers and cutting them down with terrifying efficiency.
Chloe pressed her hands against her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She saw the sheer ruthlessness of the man who had paid her mother’s debts and held her so tenderly just minutes earlier. He was a monster to his enemies, but to her... he was the only shield she had left in this brutal world.
After twenty agonizing minutes, the gunfire ceased.
May you like
On the monitor, Dominic stood among the fallen in the courtyard, rain beginning to fall over his dark hair. He lowered his weapon, looked directly up into the security camera mounted above the terrace, and spoke a single word that Chloe could read clearly on his lips:
Safe.
Related Stories
