Chapter 7 - The Ambush in the Park
Matteo answered the phone, his face instantly hardening into a mask of pure, lethal fury.
“What do you mean Lorenzo escaped transport?” Matteo barked into the receiver, pacing across the kitchen floor.
Cameron’s blood ran cold as she realized the threat was not over, and her eyes darted immediately toward the playroom.
“Lock down the penthouse right now,” Matteo ordered his men, ending the call and drawing his hidden sidearm.
“Cameron, get Leo and go to the panic room behind my study,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
But before she could take a single step, the heavy reinforced glass of the penthouse windows shattered inward.
Deafening gunfire erupted, echoing through the massive living room as three armed mercenaries repelled down from the roof.
Matteo dove across the kitchen, tackling Cameron to the floor just as a spray of bullets tore through the marble island.
“Stay down!” he roared, returning fire and dropping the closest attacker with two precise shots to the chest.
Cameron didn't listen to him, her maternal instincts completely taking over her rational mind.
She crawled through the shattered glass, ignoring the sharp pain as shards bit into her palms and knees.
“Leo!” she screamed over the deafening noise, scrambling toward the hallway where the playroom was located.
One of the masked mercenaries noticed her moving and leveled his assault rifle directly at her back.
Matteo saw it happening in slow motion, his heart stopping in his chest as he took aim.
He fired, hitting the mercenary in the shoulder, but the man’s finger had already pulled the trigger.
The bullet grazed Cameron’s side, tearing through her silk shirt and leaving a burning streak of fire across her ribs.
She grunted in pain but didn't stop, finally diving into the playroom and slamming the heavy oak door shut.
Leo was hiding under a small table, covering his ears and crying hysterically in absolute terror.
“I’m here, baby, Mama is here,” Cameron gasped, pulling the trembling boy into her arms and using her body as a human shield.
Outside the door, the gunfire abruptly ceased, replaced by the heavy thud of bodies hitting the floor.
Seconds later, the playroom door was kicked open, and Matteo stood there, covered in dust and breathing heavily.
He dropped his weapon and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms fiercely around both Cameron and his son.
“You are bleeding,” Matteo choked out, seeing the blood soaking the side of her blouse.
“It’s just a scratch,” she promised, holding Leo tightly to her chest.
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Matteo pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as a terrifying realization washed over him.
He was no longer just protecting his son's nanny; he was desperately fighting for the woman he loved.
