Chapter 6 - The Siege at the GatesWithin an hour, the quiet, orderly estate had transformed into an armed camp.
Men in black tactical gear moved with quiet precision through the hallways, checking weapons, securing perimeter gates, and setting up communication relays in the study. Down in the courtyard, heavy SUVs with reinforced plating and tinted windows were idling, their headlights cutting through the descending evening fog.
Upstairs in the master suite, Nora stood by the window watching the flurry of activity below, a cold knot forming in her stomach.
The door opened, and Dominic walked in. He had strapped a heavy leather shoulder harness over his dark shirt, slipping a polished Beretta pistol into the holster beneath his left arm. Though his right arm was still supported by the sling, he moved with absolute authority and lethal purpose.
"You're leaving," Nora stated quietly, turning to face him.
"I have to," Dominic said, his voice flat and controlled. "If I don't crush this attempt in the next two hours, the families in New York will think I'm permanently broken. Weakness invites wolves, Nora."
"You're still recovering from a severe gunshot wound and a systemic infection!" Nora stepped toward him, her nurse’s instincts warring with the terrifying reality of his world. "If you get into a firefight tonight, you'll tear those stitches open and bleed out before you reach the highway!"
"Then I'll make sure the fight is over before my shoulder gives out," Dominic replied, stepping closer to her. He stopped just inches away, his dark eyes softening slightly as he looked down at her. "Leo has orders. If things go sideways at the docks, an armored car will take you to a safehouse in Vermont. Papers, cash, and a fresh identity are already prepared."
"I don't want a fresh identity, Dominic," Nora said, her voice trembling slightly with sudden, unexpected emotion. "I want you to not be stupid enough to walk into an ambush."
Dominic reached out with his left hand, his warm fingers gently cupping her cheek. It was an intimate, tender gesture that felt entirely out of place in a war zone.
"I've spent my entire life surviving enemies, betrayal, and blood," Dominic whispered, his thumb brushing her cheekbone. "I didn't survive a bullet to the chest just to lose the only person who ever looked at me and saw a human being instead of a monster."
Before Nora could process the words, a loud, thunderous explosion shook the ground beneath the estate.
Boom!
The lights in the bedroom flickered and died, plunged into emergency backup red lighting. Shouts echoed from the courtyard below as automatic gunfire cracked through the night air. The attack wasn't at the docks anymore—they had breached the front gates of the estate.
May you like
"Stay in this room. Lock the vault door behind me," Dominic ordered, his voice snapping into absolute command. He drew his pistol with his left hand, turned on his heel, and sprinted out into the hallway.
Nora stood frozen in the crimson emergency light as the sounds of war echoed through the mansion. But as the first screams of combat reached the stairs, she didn't lock the door. Instead, she grabbed her emergency medical duffel bag, checked the scalpels and gauze inside, and ran out into the corridor after him.
