Chapter 6 - Fire and Iron
At the estate, the power had been cut.
The grand mansion was plunged into total darkness, save for the pale moonlight filtering through the high windows and the ominous glow of emergency lights flickering red in the corridors.
Sophia held Emma tightly against her chest inside the locked study. Outside, the sounds of distant gunshots and shouting echoed through the courtyard. The estate’s security guards were fighting hard, but the attackers were professional mercenaries, pushing through the gates with tactical precision.
"Mommy, I'm scared," Emma whimpered, her hands clutching Sophia’s collar.
"Shh, baby, shh," Sophia whispered, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. "Aleandro will be here. He promised."
Beside them, Bruno was standing in the center of the room. He wasn't growling anymore. His body was stiff as iron, his tail lifted, his ears pinned back. The old war dog knew what was happening. The smell of gunsmoke and blood had reached his nostrils, waking up instincts that had lain dormant since his injuries.
Suddenly, the heavy oak doors of the study shuddered under a massive kick.
Sophia gasped, retreating into the corner behind the mahogany desk.
BOOM.
The lock shattered. The door swung open, revealing three heavily armed men in black tactical gear, night-vision goggles resting on their helmets.
"In here!" one of them shouted. "Grab the girl and the kid! Falcone wants them alive!"
The leader stepped into the room, reaching out a gloved hand toward Sophia.
He never saw Bruno coming.
Despite his bad hind leg, the massive dog launched himself with terrifying ferocity. He slammed into the leader, his heavy jaws locking onto the man's arm, throwing him onto the floor. The second mercenary raised his rifle, but Bruno whipped his heavy tail, spinning around and tearing into the man's leg, bringing him down into a heap of screaming pain.
"Shoot the damn beast!" the third mercenary yelled, aiming his submachine gun directly at Bruno’s head.
"NO!" Sophia screamed.
Without thinking, driven by an instinct she didn't know she possessed, Sophia grabbed a heavy bronze statue from Aleandro’s desk and swung it with all her strength, smashing it into the side of the third mercenary's head. The man stumbled back, disoriented, dropping his weapon.
Before he could recover, a black figure appeared behind him in the doorway.
Aleandro’s arm locked around the mercenary's neck, snapping it with a single, brutal twist.
The man collapsed to the floor.
Aleandro stepped over the body, his gun drawn, his face streaked with soot and rain. His eyes swept the room, instantly taking in the scene: the two downed mercenaries groaning under Bruno’s watchful, terrifying stance, Sophia standing holding the bloody statue, and Emma safe behind the desk.
Aleandro dropped his gun into his holster, crossed the room in two long strides, and pulled Sophia into his arms.
He pulled her tight against his chest, his heart pounding violently against hers. Sophia buried her face in his neck, dropping the bronze statue, sobbing tears of pure relief.
"You're safe," Aleandro breathed, his hand burying itself in her hair, kissing her forehead again and again. "You're safe. I'm here. I have you."
"You came back," Sophia sobbed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You came back for us."
"I will always come back for you," Aleandro promised, his voice thick with emotion.
Down on the floor, Emma peeked out from behind the desk. She walked over, looked at the fallen mercenaries, then looked up at Aleandro and Bruno.
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"Mister," Emma said softly, tugging on Aleandro’s coat. "Bruno was a very good knight today."
Aleandro let out a breathless, emotional laugh. He dropped to his knees, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around Sophia’s waist while pulling Emma into the embrace with the other. Bruno pressed his giant wet nose right into the center of the three of them, letting out a long, rumbling sigh of total satisfaction.
