They called me a monster, but nothing prepared me for the moment I kicked open the door to my son's nursery, aimed a pistol at a trembling young maid with my dying infant pressed against her bare chest...

The two guards were standing near the exit ramp, smoking cigarettes, completely unprepared for a ghost to emerge from the walls.

Before the heavy steel door even finished swinging open, I raised my weapon. Two suppressed shots echoed through the cavernous concrete garage in rapid succession. Thwip. Thwip. Both men dropped to the floor instantly, their weapons clattering uselessly against the pavement.

"Move!" I shouted to Harper.

She didn't hesitate. Shielding Luca's head with her hand, she sprinted across the concrete toward the black armored SUV I had pointed out. I covered her flank, my eyes scanning the shadows for any movement, my weapon raised and ready to eliminate any threat.

I hit the remote unlock on my key fob, and the heavy doors of the SUV popped open. Harper scrambled into the back seat, securing herself and keeping Luca tight against her chest. I slid into the driver's seat, hitting the ignition. The massive V8 engine roared to life, a sound of pure, unadulterated power.

Suddenly, the elevator doors at the far end of the garage pinged open. Four of Vincenzo’s heavily armed hitmen poured out, raising their automatic rifles the moment they spotted the idling SUV.

"Get down!" I yelled.

Bullets began to rain against the vehicle. The sound was deafening, a relentless hailstorm of lead sparking against the military-grade armor plating and the bulletproof glass. The windows spider-webbed, but they held firm.

I slammed the SUV into drive, flooring the accelerator. The massive vehicle surged forward like a battering ram. The hitmen dove out of the way as I smashed through the heavy security gate at the top of the ramp, tearing the metal barrier completely off its hinges.

We burst out into the cool, dark New Jersey night, the tires squealing in protest as I violently drifted the vehicle onto the main road. I didn't turn on the headlights until we were three miles away, disappearing into the cover of the dense forest roads.

I looked in the rearview mirror. Harper was hyperventilating, clutching my son, but she was entirely unhurt.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice tight with adrenaline.