Chapter 18 - The Fortress
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The masked gunman collapsed backward, crashing through the broken window frame and landing dead on the patio stones.
Luca stepped into the sunroom, stepping over the body, his gun still smoking. He looked absolutely terrifying—a demon of violence unleashed to protect his own.
He rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside Norah. He pulled her and Leo off the floor, his hands frantically searching them for bullet wounds.
“Are you hit? Norah, look at me, are you hit?” Luca demanded, his voice shaking with a panic she had never heard before.
“I’m fine,” Norah gasped, clutching Leo tightly to her chest. “Leo is fine. It was just the glass.”
Outside, the gunfire abruptly ceased. Marco’s voice crackled over the radio on Luca’s belt. “Hostiles neutralized, Boss. The perimeter is secure.”
Luca let out a ragged breath. He pulled Norah and Leo into a crushing embrace, burying his face in Norah’s neck, completely uncaring about the blood and glass on the floor.
“I told you to send us away,” Norah whispered, tears finally falling as the adrenaline crashed.
“I will never send you away,” Luca growled fiercely against her skin. “I will build a fortress out of their bones before I let anyone touch you.”
For the next forty-eight hours, the Castellano estate went into absolute lockdown. Heavily armed guards patrolled every hallway. Luca didn't leave Norah’s side for a single second. He slept in a chair next to her bed, his hand resting over hers, his gun on the nightstand.
The contractual marriage of convenience had completely dissolved in the fire of the ambush. The lines were gone. They were bound by trauma, survival, and a terrifying, all-consuming devotion.
On the third night, Luca stood up from his chair. He looked down at Norah, who was sitting up in bed, illuminated by the moonlight.
“I have to go to the warehouse,” Luca said softly. “To finish this.”
Norah knew what that meant. Dominic was still breathing, and in the mafia, treason was paid in blood.
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She didn't tell him to show mercy. She reached out, grabbing his hand.
“Come back to me,” Norah whispered.
