Chapter 6 - The Midnight Abduction
The storm broke two nights before the wedding. Thunder shook the glass of the penthouse, masking the sound of the service elevator grinding to a halt on the restricted floor.
Clara was asleep in the guest suite, Leo curled up against her chest, clutching his toy dinosaur.
Suddenly, the heavy oak door splintered open. Three men in tactical gear poured into the room. Clara screamed, instinctively throwing her body over her son.
"Grab the kid!" one of the men barked, reaching for Leo.
Elena had realized Clara was a threat. She couldn't kill her in the penthouse without raising Matteo's suspicions, but she could use her Falcone contacts to kidnap the boy and force Clara to flee before the wedding.
Clara fought like a feral animal, clawing at the man's masked face, but a heavy fist connected with her jaw, sending her crashing to the floor. Leo wailed in terror as the man hoisted him into the air.
Before the intruder could take a second step, the lights in the hallway snapped on.
Matteo Rossi stood in the doorway. He wasn't wearing his usual tailored suit; he was in a black t-shirt and slacks, looking like the ruthless street enforcer he had been ten years ago.
He raised a suppressed pistol and fired twice.
The man holding Leo dropped like a stone, two neat holes right between his eyes. Matteo lunged forward, catching the screaming child before he hit the ground. The other two intruders raised their weapons, but Matteo’s personal guards flooded the room from the terrace, unleashing a hail of bullets that shredded the Falcone mercenaries to pieces.
Silence descended on the room, save for the pouring rain outside and Leo’s frantic sobbing.
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Matteo handed the boy to Clara, who was weeping hysterically. He knelt beside them on the blood-soaked rug, ignoring the carnage around them. He pulled them both into his chest, wrapping his massive arms around them.
"I've got you," Matteo swore, his voice trembling with a rage that shook the floorboards. "I've got you both."
