Chapter 7 - The Confrontation
Dominic’s reaction was instantaneous. The soft, grieving man vanished, replaced in a split second by the terrifying, lethal leader of the Romano crime family.
"Get the kids into the panic room under the master bedroom," Dominic commanded Clara, his voice dead calm. "Now, Clara! Move!"
Clara didn't hesitate. She ran to the guest bedroom, scooped up the sleep-heavy children in her arms, and carried them into the master suite where a hidden steel door slid open from the closet wall.
"Mommy, what's that noise?" Noah asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the steel-reinforced bunker inside.
"It's just a game, sweetie," Clara coaxed, setting them down on a small plush sofa inside the panic room. "Stay here with Lily. I'll be right back."
"Don't leave us!" Lily squeaked, grabbing Clara’s wrist.
"I won't leave you. I'm just closing the door to keep the cold air out," Clara promised, kissing both their foreheads before stepping out and pressing the internal lock button. The heavy blast door sealed shut with an airtight hiss.
Clara rushed back to the main living room just as the heavy floor-to-ceiling glass windows shattered inward under a volley of suppressed gunfire!
Glass rained down like diamonds across the polished hardwood floors. Mateo and Frank returned fire immediately, tactical handguns barking sharp fire into the darkness outside.
Dominic stood behind a heavy marble pillar, holding a sleek black tactical pistol. He fired three precise shots into the shadow of the terrace, and a dark figure collapsed over the stone balustrade.
"How many?" Dominic asked Frank, reloading his magazine with practiced ease.
"Eight men, Boss!" Frank shouted over the gunfire. "They came up the cliff face using climbing gear! They breached the perimeter before the sensors triggered!"
Suddenly, the gunfire stopped.
A cold, mocking woman's voice rang out from the terrace through a megaphone.
"Dominic! Put the gun down, darling! You're outnumbered, and your little ocean hideaway is surrounded!"
Clara froze behind the stone fireplace. She recognized that voice instantly. It was smooth, venomous, and painfully familiar.
Elena.
Dominic stepped out slightly from behind the pillar, his eyes burning with absolute murderous fury. "Elena. You should have stayed in exile."
A tall, elegant woman stepped through the shattered glass frame, wearing a long black leather trench coat. Behind her stood three heavily armed men with tactical rifles, led by a sharp-featured man with a thin mustache—Lorenzo Vincenzo.
"Exile was so boring, Dominic," Elena purred, stepping over the glass shards in her high heels. She looked around the luxurious living room, her eyes gleaming with envy. "And to think... you built this palace for her. The little baker girl who ran away crying."
"Where is she, Dominic?" Lorenzo asked, stepping forward with his rifle raised. "Give us Clara and the bastards, and maybe we let you keep half your docks in Boston."
Dominic let out a low, terrifying laugh. It was a dark, hollow sound that made even Lorenzo’s men shift uncomfortably.
"You came to my house," Dominic said, his voice terrifyingly quiet. "You threatened my wife. You threatened my children."
"Wife?" Elena laughed bitterly. "She's nothing! She's a pathetic little cow who couldn't even keep you!"
"I'd suggest you check your watch, Lorenzo," Dominic continued smoothly, completely ignoring Elena.
Lorenzo frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You brought eight men to my cliffs," Dominic said, taking a deliberate step forward. "Did you really think I didn't know you were tracking my Suburban? Did you really think I brought my family here without calling the full strength of the Romano family?"
Suddenly, the roar of multiple heavy helicopters shook the entire house.
Massive spotlights cut through the rain outside, blinding the men on the terrace! From the darkness above, dozen of armed tactical operators in black uniforms began rappelling down onto the lawn, the roof, and the balcony!
Lorenzo’s face turned white as sheet. "No... impossible!"
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"You made one mistake five years ago, Elena," Dominic said, raising his weapon with absolute precision. "You thought taking Clara away would make me weak. You didn't realize she was the only thing keeping me human."
Gunfire erupted as Dominic’s main strike team breached the rear glass!
