Chapter 7 - THE GHOST FROM THE PAST
I dropped the phone.
It hit the glass table with a sharp clatter, the screen glowing mockingly in the morning light.
Dominic was on his feet in a fraction of a second.
He closed the distance between us, his hands gripping my shoulders.
“What was that?” he demanded, his voice a low, lethal snarl.
“A call,” I stammered, my heart hammering against my ribs.
“They... they said if you don't open the vault and hand Vanessa over by midnight, they're going to burn this house down with us inside.”
Dominic's eyes flashed with pure, unadulterated fury.
He didn't panic.
He calculated.
“Marcus!” he roared toward the open conservatory door.
Marcus appeared instantly, breathless and carrying a tactical tablet.
“Boss, we got a security breach on the perimeter sensors,” Marcus reported rapidly.
“Three unmarked black vans just parked outside the south gate. Men in tactical gear. No insignia. Syndicate hit squad.”
Dominic let out a harsh, bitter laugh.
“They didn't waste any time.”
“What do we do?” I asked, pulling Maisie close behind my legs as she looked up with wide, frightened eyes.
“Mommy, what's happening?” she whimpered, clutching her green crayon.
“Nothing, baby,” I lied, my voice cracking.
“Mommy is right here.”
Dominic crouched down to Maisie's eye level.
“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice instantly softening into a calm, steady reassurance.
“Mr. Dominic needs you and Mommy to play a game for a little while. You're going to go with Marcus down to the safe room. There are toys, a big TV, and all the snacks you want.”
“Are you coming too?” Maisie asked innocently.
“I have to take care of some bad guys outside,” Dominic smiled gently.
“I'll be right back as soon as I win.”
Marcus stepped forward, his face grim.
“Boss, the perimeter breach is moving fast. They've cut the power grid to the west wing.”
“Get them to the bunker, Marcus,” Dominic ordered, standing up and drawing his Beretta.
“And if anyone breaches the main hall... you put a bullet between their eyes.”
“Understood.”
Marcus scooped Maisie into his arms.
“Come on, kiddo. Time for an adventure.”
“Be careful,” I whispered, looking up at Dominic as he turned toward the grand hallway.
Dominic paused.
He looked back over his shoulder, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a fierce, burning intensity.
“I died the day I let Vanessa lie to me, Claire,” he said quietly.
“I am not planning on dying twice.”
He turned and strode out toward the front foyer, his black coat billowing behind him like the wings of a dark angel.
I followed Marcus down into the reinforced steel bunker beneath the kitchens.
The heavy hydraulic door sealed shut behind us with a heavy, final thud.
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Inside, banks of monitors flickered to life, casting an eerie blue glow over the steel walls.
On screen one, the western courtyard of the Moretti mansion erupted into chaos.
