Chapter 4 - The Lake House Siege
By midnight, the rain had cleared, leaving behind a thick, ghostly fog that blanketed Geneva Lake.
Dominic refused to let me stay behind at the safehouse. "You know the layout of the boathouse," he had said before we left. "And Gemma will fire on my men if she sees them coming. You come with me, but you stay behind my shoulder."
We approached the dark wooden structure sitting at the edge of the black water. The boathouse looked abandoned, its windows covered in wooden shutters, the roof overgrown with moss.
Dominic motioned for Mateo and two other guards to hold the perimeter. He pulled his weapon from his holster, keeping one broad arm draped protectively around my back as we approached the side door.
"Gemma?" I called out softly into the darkness. "Gemma, it's Clara! I'm here with Dominic!"
A sharp click echoed from the shadows inside the structure.
"Clara?" Gemma's voice sounded hoarse, exhausted, and terrified.
The heavy wooden door creaked open an inch. Through the gap, Gemma's pale, tear-streaked face appeared. The moment her eyes locked onto mine, she let out a sob, pulling the door open and throwing her arms around my neck.
"Clara! Oh God, you came!" Gemma cried, hugging me tight.
"Of course I came, you idiot," I sobbed, hugging her back, tears spilling down my cheeks. "You left your ring in a greasy diner!"
"Enough," Dominic's sharp voice cut through the emotional reunion. He stepped inside, sweeping his flashlight over the dark interior of the boathouse. "Gemma, where is the drive?"
Gemma pulled back from me, her eyes darting nervously to her brother. "Dominic... you shouldn't have brought Clara here. The traitor... it’s not just a general. It’s someone closer."
Before Dominic could ask, a sudden metallic thud echoed from the roof above us, followed instantly by the sound of glass shattering across the boathouse floor.
"DOWN!" Dominic roared.
He tackled both Gemma and me to the ground as heavy gunfire erupted from the upper balcony of the boathouse. Armed men in black tactical gear dropped down from the rafters, their weapons flashing in the dark.
Dominic fired rapidly from the floor, taking down two attackers with lethal precision. "Mateo! Perimeter compromised! Get the vehicle to the dock!"
Smoke filled the air, choking my lungs. Gemma screamed as a stray bullet ricocheted off the steel pillar near her head.
"The safe!" Gemma yelled through the noise, pointing toward the cellar trapdoor beneath the wooden floorboards. "The drive is in the safe!"
Dominic grabbed my arm, shoving the brass key into my palm. "Clara, take Gemma and get into the cellar! Lock it from the inside!"
"What about you?!" I screamed, grabbing his collar, refusing to let go.
Dominic looked down at me through the smoke and flash of gunfire. A fierce, dark smile touched his lips. He leaned down, pressing a hard, fierce kiss against my lips—a kiss that tasted of gunpowder, rain, and absolute passion.
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"I'll clear the room," Dominic whispered against my mouth. "Now go!"
He shoved me toward the trapdoor. I grabbed Gemma's hand, pulling her down into the dark stone cellar below just as Dominic slammed the heavy oak door shut over our heads, shooting out the iron latch to lock us in from the outside.
