Chapter 3 - The Golden Cage
Gunfire erupted from the front courtyard, echoing like thunder through the mansion.
Vincent shoved me toward the back wall of the study.
"Get behind the bookshelf!" he roared over the noise.
I lunged forward and scooped Mia into my arms, pressing her face against my chest.
Renzo slammed his hand against a hidden panel under the mahogany desk.
The massive bookshelf groaned and swung open, revealing a reinforced steel door.
"Get the girl inside the panic room now," Vincent ordered me.
I rushed into the small, brightly lit bunker without hesitating.
Vincent and Renzo backed into the room right behind me, firing their weapons into the hallway.
The steel door hissed shut and locked with a heavy, metallic thud.
The sudden silence inside the bunker was absolute and terrifying.
Mia started to cry, burying her face into my shoulder.
I rocked her gently, whispering that it was just a loud game of hide and seek.
Vincent walked over to a bank of security monitors mounted on the concrete wall.
He punched in a code, bringing up live camera feeds from all over the estate.
The screen showed at least a dozen men in tactical gear sweeping through the luxurious living room.
They were moving with lethal military precision, executing the remaining guards without mercy.
My eyes locked onto the leader of the assault team.
He was wearing a distressed brown leather jacket.
It was the exact same jacket I had bought David for our first anniversary.
The man turned his face toward the hallway camera, looking straight into the lens.
My breath hitched in my throat as I recognized the sharp jawline and cold blue eyes.
It was David.
He raised his hand and fired a single shot directly into the camera.
The monitor dissolved into useless gray static.
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Vincent turned slowly to look at me, his gun aimed directly at my chest.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill his wife right now," Vincent said softly.
