Chapter 4 - The Threat at the Gate
The fragile peace of the nursery shattered instantly. Lorenzo turned on his heel, his military instincts taking over. He tapped the earpiece hidden beneath his collar.
“Vincent, status,” Lorenzo ordered, his voice commanding absolute obedience.
“They breached the northern fence, Mr. Pellegrini,” Vincent’s voice crackled through the comms, punctuated by the faint sound of barking dogs and distant shouting. “Four men. Armed. They’re moving toward the west wing. We’ve cut off their exit routes.”
“Don't kill them yet,” Lorenzo snarled. “I want to know who sent them. Secure the perimeter and lock down the main house.”
He turned back to me, his eyes dark with lethal intent. “Lock this door. Do not open it for anyone except me or Vincent. Understand?”
“Go,” I said firmly, standing my ground. “We’re safe here.”
Lorenzo nodded once—a sharp, decisive movement—and rushed out of the room, drawing a heavy black firearm from his shoulder holster as he ran down the corridor.
Inside the room, Sophia stirred, woken up by the muffled commotion outside. Her big brown eyes looked up at me with anxiety.
“Is daddy in trouble?” she whispered, her voice stronger than before.
“Your dad is just taking care of some noisy neighbors,” I smiled, smoothing her blanket. “Let’s play a game while he’s busy. Let’s count how many stars we can see through the window.”
For the next hour, gunfire echoed faintly from the distant gardens of the estate. Every pop of a silenced pistol made my heart hammer against my ribs, but I kept my voice steady, guiding Sophia through the stars and stories of my childhood on the streets.
Suddenly, a heavy thud shook the hallway directly outside Sophia’s door.
My blood ran cold. The door handle jiggled violently. Someone was trying to force their way in.
I grabbed the heavy metal IV pole, planting my feet between the door and Sophia’s bed. My heart slammed against my chest like a trapped bird. The lock clicked, the door creaked open an inch, and a cold muzzle of a gun pushed through the gap.
“Gotcha,” a rough voice hissed.
Without thinking, I swung the heavy iron base of the IV pole with all my might, striking the barrel of the gun. The intruder grunted in pain as the weapon flew from his hands, clattering against the hardwood floor.
Before he could recover, a heavy shadow lunged from behind him in the hallway.
A loud crunch echoed as Lorenzo grabbed the intruder by the neck, slamming his head against the doorframe with brutal, crushing force. The man collapsed instantly, unconscious.
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Lorenzo stood over the fallen attacker, his suit jacket torn, blood staining his white shirt cuff. He looked up, his eyes scanning the room until they locked onto me standing protectively in front of Sophia with the makeshift weapon raised.
For a second, the fierce cartel leader melted away, replaced by a man who looked terrified of losing the only two things he had left in the world.
