Chapter 8 - The Siege of Blood
The war began the next night.
Julian didn't wait for the Morettis to strike again. He mobilized his entire syndicate. But Lorenzo Moretti was a cornered rat, and cornered rats fight dirty.
Before Julian’s men could leave the compound, the estate was hit with an RPG.
The explosion rocked the foundation. The lights cut out, plunging the mansion into emergency red lighting.
"Panic room! Now!" Julian roared over the gunfire.
He grabbed my hand, and I grabbed Leo. We sprinted through the smoke-filled corridors. The sound of automatic weapons was deafening. Julian’s men were fighting fiercely, but the compound was swarming.
We reached the steel door of the underground bunker. Julian shoved me inside.
"Julian, come in!" I screamed, crying as I held Leo tight.
He stopped at the threshold. He was covered in soot, his eyes blazing with a feral, terrifying light.
"I have to end this, Clara. If I don't kill Lorenzo tonight, you and Leo will never be safe." He reached out, cupping my face, kissing me hard and deep. It tasted like smoke and promises. "I will come back to you. I swear to God, I will come back to you."
May you like
He slammed the steel door shut. The heavy locks engaged.
For four agonizing hours, I sat in the dark bunker, holding a sleeping Leo, listening to the muffled sounds of war above us. I prayed to a God I hadn't spoken to since my daughter died, begging Him to spare the monster I had fallen completely in love with.
