Chapter 8 - Blood on the Marble
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The confrontation with Nikos shattered the elegant illusion of the gala. Dante’s hand remained firmly wrapped around Emily’s waist, his entire body coiled tight with violent, protective tension.
“We are leaving,” Dante commanded quietly, signaling to two of his massive, undercover guards across the room. “Nikos is too arrogant to approach you in public unless he has an exit strategy already in place.”
They moved swiftly toward the grand double doors of the mansion.
But as they crossed the expansive marble foyer, the massive crystal chandelier above them suddenly flickered and died. The entire room plunged into pitch-black darkness.
Panic erupted. Women screamed, and the sound of breaking glass echoed through the chaotic space.
“Get down!” Dante roared over the noise.
He didn't hesitate. He grabbed Emily, throwing his massive body over hers, dragging her brutally to the cold marble floor just as the deafening crackle of automatic gunfire ripped through the foyer.
Bullets shattered the expensive vases and tore through the plaster walls. The Konstantinos family had not come to negotiate; they had come to execute.
Emily squeezed her eyes shut, terrified tears streaming down her face as she pressed herself into the floor. Dante was a heavy, unmovable shield above her. He drew a heavy, suppressed pistol from beneath his tuxedo jacket, returning fire into the darkness with terrifying, mechanical precision.
“Move to the pillars!” Dante yelled to his men.
He hauled Emily to her feet, shoving her roughly behind a massive stone column just as a hail of bullets chewed through the spot they had just vacated.
“Dante, they’re going to kill us!” Emily sobbed, her hands covering her ears.
“I will burn this island to ash before I let them touch you,” Dante snarled, his face illuminated by the flashes of gunfire.
He leaned around the pillar, firing three rapid shots. A heavy thud echoed in the dark as one of the assassins dropped to the floor.
“The side exit is clear, Boss!” a guard shouted over the chaos.
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“Run, Emily! Do not look back!” Dante ordered, grabbing her hand and pulling her blindly through the smoke-filled corridor.
They burst out through the service doors into the cool, chaotic night air, sprinting toward the idling armored SUV waiting in the alleyway. Dante shoved her into the back seat, diving in right behind her as the heavy doors slammed shut and the vehicle tore away into the darkness, leaving the blood-soaked gala far behind.
