Chapter 2 - The Sniper in the Trees
Dominic tackled Hannah to the marble floor, shielding the baby beneath his own body.
A high-caliber bullet ripped through the leather of his chair, precisely where his head had been a second ago.
Shards of broken glass rained down on them like deadly hail.
Grace let out a sharp, terrified wail as the deafening noise shook the room.
Dominic wrapped his hand over the back of the baby's head, pressing her safely against his chest.
Vincent returned fire immediately, shooting blindly into the tree line outside the estate.
"Stay down, boss!" Vincent yelled over the sound of his own gunfire.
The security alarms of the mansion finally began to scream, bathing the room in flashing red lights.
Dominic pulled his own pistol from his waistband, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene.
"Who is out there?" Dominic demanded.
"I don't know, but they bypassed the perimeter sensors," Vincent grunted, ejecting an empty magazine.
Hannah was sobbing on the floor beside them, covering her ears in sheer panic.
Dominic looked at her and realized this attack was not meant for him.
He was the most powerful mafia boss on the coast, but nobody had dared to attack his home in five years.
This sudden violence happened on the exact same day the child of his dead brother was discovered.
Someone outside knew that Julian Caruso's bloodline had survived.
"They are here for the child," Dominic realized aloud.
Vincent paused his reloading, casting a dark look toward the baby.
"If that kid is bringing heat to your door, we need to hand her over," Vincent said coldly.
Dominic leveled his gun directly at his head of security.
"If you ever suggest giving my niece to an enemy again, I will bury you," Dominic warned.
Vincent raised his hands slowly in surrender, though anger flashed in his eyes.
The gunfire from the trees abruptly stopped, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
"They are retreating," Vincent noted, cautiously peering over the windowsill.
Dominic stood up, pulling Hannah to her feet while keeping Grace securely in his arm.
"Check the grounds and double the guards at the gates," Dominic ordered.
As Vincent turned to leave, a small black object flew through the broken window and landed on the carpet.
Dominic pushed Hannah back, expecting a live grenade.
Instead, it was a cheap, disposable burner phone.
The screen was cracked, but it suddenly began to ring.
Dominic stared at the device, a cold sense of dread creeping up his spine.
He carefully picked up the phone and pressed the answer button.
"You always were too slow, Dom," a voice chuckled through the static.
May you like
Dominic's heart stopped completely.
It was the voice of his brother, Julian, who had been dead for eighteen months.
