Chapter 3 - The Siege
The heavy echo of gunfire outside the mansion shattered the quiet afternoon.
Nadia screamed, covering her ears and dropping to the floor in pure terror.
"Luca, get her out of here and lock down the east wing!" Salvatore roared over the noise.
Luca grabbed Nadia by the arm, dragging her up from the floor.
"My son is in the kitchen!" she cried frantically, trying to pull away from the massive guard.
"I will get him," Luca promised, shoving her toward the reinforced safe room down the hall.
Salvatore rolled his wheelchair toward the large window, keeping himself hidden behind the thick velvet curtains.
He peered down into the courtyard.
Gianni's men were advancing aggressively, using the marble fountains as cover.
His own loyal guards were returning fire, but they were heavily outnumbered and completely unprepared for an attack from within the family.
Gianni stepped out of a black armored SUV, wearing a tailored suit and a smug, arrogant smile.
He held a megaphone up to his mouth.
"Salvatore!" Gianni’s voice boomed across the courtyard.
"It is time to step down, Cousin."
"The family needs a leader who can actually walk."
The sheer disrespect burned through Salvatore like a physical fire.
Gianni had orchestrated the entire warehouse hit to justify this violent takeover.
Salvatore aimed his pistol through the cracked window, resting the heavy barrel on the sill to steady his aim.
He placed the red sight directly on Gianni's chest.
He squeezed the trigger.
The bullet shattered the glass, screaming across the courtyard and striking Gianni squarely in the shoulder.
Gianni screamed, dropping the megaphone and collapsing behind the armored SUV.
"Kill him!" Gianni shrieked, clutching his bleeding arm.
"Burn the whole house down if you have to!"
Dozens of assault rifles immediately focused their fire on Salvatore's office window.
The glass completely exploded inward, raining jagged shards over the mahogany desk and the Persian rug.
Salvatore threw his arms up to protect his face, reversing his wheelchair violently to escape the barrage of bullets.
He backed into the dark hallway, his heart hammering with adrenaline he had not felt in months.
The sound of heavy boots echoed from the grand staircase.
Gianni's men had breached the front doors.
Salvatore knew he could not fight a dozen men from a wheelchair.
He needed to reach the weapons vault hidden behind the library on the first floor.
He maneuvered his chair down the long corridor, his arms burning with the effort of pushing himself so quickly.
He turned the corner near the kitchen and nearly collided with someone.
It was Nadia.
She was clutching Milo tightly against her chest, her face stained with tears and terror.
"They killed Mrs. Renaldi," Nadia sobbed, her voice breaking completely.
"They are shooting everyone."
Salvatore looked at the silent boy, who was gripping his mother's sweater with white-knuckled intensity.
"Get behind me," Salvatore ordered, his voice cold and steady.
"We need to get to the library."
Nadia nodded, staying close to the back of his wheelchair as they moved silently down the hall.
They reached the heavy wooden doors of the library without encountering any of Gianni's mercenaries.
Salvatore pushed the doors open and wheeled himself inside.
"Lock the doors behind us," he commanded.
Nadia turned the heavy brass deadbolt, leaning against the wood and gasping for air.
Salvatore moved toward the large fireplace, intending to trigger the hidden switch for the weapons vault.
Before he could reach the stone mantle, a dark figure stepped out from the shadows of the bookshelves.
It was Aldo Bianchi, the man who had shot Salvatore and put him in this wheelchair.
Aldo held a suppressed pistol aimed directly at Nadia's head.
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"Hello, old friend," Aldo smiled darkly.
"Gianni paid me a fortune to make sure you do not survive this time."
