Chapter 6 - SIEGE AT THE LAKE HOUSE
Back at the upstate estate, the storm had broken. Heavy rain hammered against the roof, and thunder rumbled across the dark lake.
Inside, the lights flickered and suddenly died, plunging the house into pitch darkness.
Sophia immediately grabbed Emma from the sofa, pulling her into her arms. "Shh, baby, stay quiet," she whispered, her heart hammering against her ribs.
From the hallway came the dull, muffled sound of a suppressed gunshot, followed by a heavy thud. The estate's perimeter guards had been taken out.
Julian Vance had not waited for Gianni Romano's permission. He had tracked the encrypted GPS signals from the Moretti convoy and brought his own black-ops team to reclaim what he believed was his property.
Sophia retreated into the dark, heavy-paneled library, locking the thick mahogany door behind her. She pushed a heavy oak desk against the door, her hands bleeding from splinters as she worked frantically in the dark.
"Mama... I'm scared," Emma whimpered, holding her stuffed rabbit tightly against her small chest.
"I know, baby. I know," Sophia sobbed quietly, kissing Emma's forehead. "Just hide under the window, behind the velvet curtains. Don't make a sound, no matter what happens."
The lock on the library door rattled violently. Then came a loud, heavy kick. The wood groaned, cracking near the frame.
"Sophia!" a slick, familiar voice echoed from the hallway—a voice that had haunted Sophia’s nightmares for five long years. "Open the door, darling! You’ve played house with the mafia long enough! It’s time to come home to Chicago!"
Julian Vance stood in the hallway, wearing a tailored navy coat, holding a silenced pistol in his hand. Behind him were three heavily armed men in black tactical gear.
"Go away, Julian!" Sophia screamed from inside, grabbing a heavy brass fireplace poker. "I’ll kill you if you touch her!"
"Touch who? The little bastard child?" Vance laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "You took five million dollars of my father's money when you fled, Sophia! You thought you could hide in the gutters of New York, pretending to be a servant? Did you really think a mafia boss like Aleandro Moretti gives a damn about you? He’s using you as leverage against the Romanos! You’re just a pawn to him!"
BANG!
A shotgun blast echoed from the grand foyer down the hall.
One of Vance's men dropped instantly.
Aleandro stepped through the front entrance, drenched in rain, holding a tactical shotgun, his eyes blazing with murderous fury. Behind him, half a dozen elite Moretti enforcers poured into the house.
"You’re in the wrong city, Vance," Aleandro roared, racking another shell into the chamber.
The hallway erupted into chaos. Gunfire tore through the ancient plaster walls, shattering glass and splintering wood. Vance cursed, firing back as he retreated down the hallway toward the library door.
Realizing he was trapped, Vance threw his weight against the damaged library door, kicking it open with a deafening crash. He stumbled into the dark room, his gun raised, searching for Sophia.
Sophia didn't hesitate. Swinging with all the rage and terror of a mother protecting her child, she brought the heavy brass poker down with all her strength, striking Vance across the shoulder and knock him to his knees.
Vance snarled, grabbing her wrist and slamming her against the wall. The gun tumbled from his hand, rolling across the hardwood floor. "You little bitch!" he growled, wrapping his hands around her throat.
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Suddenly, a massive hand grabbed Vance by the collar, hauling him backward effortlessly and slamming him onto the center table, shattering the glass top into a thousand sparkling pieces.
Aleandro stood over him, his face covered in rain and blood, his fists trembling with rage. "Touch her again," Aleandro snarled, "and I’ll feed you to the Atlantic."
