Chapter 4 - The Safe Room
Roman lunged forward, tackling Sadie to the floor just as a bullet ripped through the chair she had been sitting in.
The dining room descended into absolute chaos as Roman’s men returned fire into the dark, rainy night.
"Move!" Roman roared over the deafening gunfire, grabbing Sadie by the wrist.
He dragged her across the glass-covered floor, pushing her through a concealed door behind the grand fireplace.
The heavy steel door slammed shut behind them, plunging them into total, suffocating darkness.
Roman hit a switch, and dim, red emergency lights flickered to life.
They were in a small, concrete panic room, completely isolated from the violent war zone upstairs.
Sadie collapsed against the cold wall, gasping for air as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.
"You are bleeding," Sadie gasped, pointing a shaking finger at Roman’s shoulder.
A dark crimson stain was rapidly spreading across the pristine white fabric of his dress shirt.
"It is just a graze," Roman grunted, tearing off his jacket and pressing his hand against the wound.
He looked at her, his dark eyes intense and entirely unguarded for the first time.
"I knew the Morettis were coming tonight," Roman confessed, leaning his head back against the concrete.
"I staged the dinner to draw them out, but I never intended for you to be in the crossfire."
Sadie stared at him in disbelief, realizing he had risked his entire empire just to test her loyalty.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Sadie cried, her voice echoing in the small room.
"Because for three years, you are the only person in that house who has never looked at me with greed," Roman whispered softly.
Before Sadie could process his words, a digital keypad near the steel door beeped sharply.
May you like
The light on the lock turned from red to green.
Someone was overriding the master security code from the outside.
