Chapter 8 - Blood on the Marble
Dante Russo burst through the heavy oak doors of the library just as the assassin pulled the trigger.
The bullet shattered the wooden paneling right above Sofia's head, showering her small shoulders in sharp splinters.
Dante did not hesitate, did not flinch, and did not bother to seek cover.
He moved with the terrifying, blinding speed of a primal predator protecting its vulnerable young.
He raised his heavy, custom-made revolver and fired twice in rapid, devastating succession.
The massive bullets struck the assassin squarely in the center of his chest armor, knocking him violently backward into a mahogany bookshelf.
The assassin gasped, his suppressed pistol slipping from his grasp as he collapsed heavily onto the marble floor.
Dante sprinted across the room, completely ignoring the bleeding intruder, and scooped Sofia up into his strong arms.
"Are you hurt, Sofia?" Dante demanded, his voice thick with absolute, unadulterated panic.
"I am okay, Daddy, he missed me," Sofia whimpered, burying her face into his neck as the adrenaline finally wore off.
Lily and Chloe ran out from behind the velvet armchair, crying hysterically as they rushed toward their father.
Dante dropped to his knees, pulling all three of his precious daughters into a tight, desperate embrace.
"You were so incredibly brave, Sofia," Dante whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"You saved all of our lives today."
Nico and a heavily armed squad of security guards swarmed into the library, their rifles raised and ready for a firefight.
"Secure the perimeter, check the ventilation shafts, and lock down the entire estate!" Nico shouted, moving to clear the adjacent rooms.
Dante stood up slowly, keeping the girls shielded safely behind his broad, towering back.
He walked over to the bleeding assassin, who was coughing weakly on the ruined marble floor.
Dante placed the heavy heel of his expensive leather shoe directly onto the assassin's wounded chest, applying a brutal, agonizing pressure.
"Who sent you, and how many others are inside my walls?" Dante growled, pressing the barrel of his revolver directly against the man's forehead.
The assassin coughed up blood, offering a defiant, bloody smile beneath his dark ski mask.
"Victor sends his regards, Russo," the assassin choked out.
"He knows you found the woman, and he is going to make sure she burns for real this time."
Dante's eyes went completely cold, void of any human mercy or hesitation.
He pulled the trigger, ensuring that the assassin would never threaten his family ever again.
Dante turned back to his terrified daughters, his expression softening instantly as he picked Lily and Chloe up in his arms.
"Nico, take the girls to the secure underground bunker and do not let anyone inside," Dante ordered firmly.
"I am going to check on Elena, and then I am going to end this war tonight."
Dante sprinted down the hallway toward the medical wing, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm of sheer terror.
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If Victor had sent one assassin, he had likely sent a dozen more to finish the job.
The estate had been completely breached, and Dante was prepared to burn the entire world to ash to keep his family breathing.
