Chapter 2 - Shattered Glass
I screamed as the concussive force of the blast threw me violently backward against the hardwood floor.
The expensive chandeliers above us shattered into a million sparkling pieces of lethal shrapnel.
Patrons were screaming in sheer terror, diving beneath tables as bullets chewed through the luxurious mahogany walls.
Without a second thought, my survival instincts kicked in, and I scrambled on my hands and knees back toward Table Twelve.
Luca was already moving with terrifying speed, shielding Leo entirely beneath his massive frame.
One of his bodyguards was returning fire toward the street, his pistol barking loudly over the chaos.
The other bodyguard grabbed my arm and forcefully yanked me down behind an overturned marble table.
“Keep your head down if you want to keep it!” the man yelled over the deafening noise.
I pressed my hands over my ears, squeezing my eyes shut as a bullet completely obliterated the wine glass I had just been holding.
Luca suddenly grabbed my shoulder, his dark eyes burning with an intense, deadly focus.
“We are leaving through the kitchen, and you are coming with us,” Luca ordered, leaving absolutely no room for argument.
I wanted to scream that I didn't want any part of this mafia war, but my vocal cords were frozen in fear.
He thrust the crying baby into my arms before I could even process what was happening.
“Hold him tight and do not stop running,” Luca commanded as he pulled a sleek black handgun from his custom suit.
I clutched Leo to my chest, bending low as Luca and his men formed a protective shield around us.
We sprinted past the screaming cooks and terrified waiters who were cowering behind the stainless steel counters.
We burst through the heavy metal back doors into the cold night air of the alleyway.
A massive armored SUV was waiting with its engine roaring, the back door already flung wide open.
Luca shoved me inside onto the leather seats and climbed in right behind me.
His men jumped into the front, and the tires screamed against the pavement as we tore away from the restaurant.
I was hyperventilating, holding the trembling baby as I realized my old life was officially over.
Luca stared out the tinted window, his jaw clenched so tight it looked carved from stone.
“Did you see the shooters?” Luca asked his lead security man in the front seat.
May you like
The man slowly turned around, but the gun in his hand was no longer pointed at the window.
He pointed the weapon directly at my forehead and clicked off the safety.
