Chapter 17 - The Siege of the Estate
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The drive back to the estate was a terrifying blur of speed and desperate prayers. Aleandro pushed the armored SUV to its absolute limits, ignoring the rain slicking the treacherous mountain roads.
"Call the estate! Get Silas on the radio!" Aleandro roared, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles cracked.
"I'm trying, Boss, but the signal is jammed!" Marco yelled, furiously pressing buttons on the comms dashboard. "They cut the hardlines and put up a localized scrambler. We are flying blind."
When they finally crested the pine ridge, the sight below confirmed Aleandro’s worst fears.
The heavy iron gates of the estate were blown completely off their hinges, smoking in the rain. Several bodies of his loyal perimeter guards lay motionless on the cobblestones. The front doors of the mansion were shattered.
Aleandro slammed the brakes, grabbing his rifle and throwing the door open before the vehicle had even fully stopped. He sprinted toward the house, a roaring, animalistic fury blinding him to the danger.
"Aleandro, wait! We need to clear the rooms!" Marco shouted, chasing after him.
Aleandro ignored him. He burst through the ruined front doors, stepping into the grand foyer. The marble floors were slick with blood and shattered glass. Gunfire echoed from the upper floors.
He didn't bother with stealth. He charged up the grand staircase, firing three rapid shots into a New York enforcer who stepped out of the shadows. The man dropped instantly.
He reached the east guest wing. The hallway was a warzone. Bullet holes riddled the expensive silk tapestries. At the end of the corridor, Silas was holding the line. The massive head of security was bleeding from a gunshot wound to his shoulder, but he was standing firm in front of Elena’s door, emptying his weapon into a group of advancing assassins.
"Silas! Get down!" Aleandro roared, opening fire.
Caught in the brutal crossfire, the remaining assassins were shredded. The hallway fell violently silent.
Aleandro ran to Silas, catching the massive man as his knees finally buckled.
"I held them, Boss," Silas coughed, blood staining his white shirt. "They didn't get in."
Aleandro didn't wait. He kicked the heavy oak door of the guest suite open, his heart stopping entirely in his chest.
"Elena!" he yelled into the dark room.
The room was in shambles, furniture overturned, windows shattered. But from the corner, behind the massive, overturned oak armoire, a small, trembling voice cried out.
"We're here!"
Aleandro rushed over, pushing the heavy piece of furniture aside with terrifying strength.
Elena was huddled in the corner, clutching Mia tightly to her chest. She was pale with terror, holding a heavy iron fire poker as a weapon. But she was unharmed.
When she saw Aleandro standing there, covered in blood and soot, she dropped the poker and let out a broken, hysterical sob.
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Aleandro fell to his knees on the ruined carpet, dragging both mother and daughter fiercely into his arms. He buried his face in Elena’s neck, his massive body shaking violently with the overwhelming adrenaline of near-loss.
"I'm here," he promised, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "I will never leave you again."
