Chapter 17 - The Attack
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The ride back to the estate was tense. The silence in the back of the armored SUV was heavy with the realization of what Luca had just done. He had publicly drawn a line in the sand, declaring a war he couldn't take back.
"They are going to retaliate," I whispered, looking out the tinted window at the dark city streets.
Luca reached across the leather seat, taking my hand in his. "I am ready for them. I have been preparing for this war for months. I just needed the right excuse to start it."
We pulled through the massive iron gates of the Moretti estate. The grounds were heavily fortified. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter with assault rifles. It looked less like a home and more like a military compound.
We walked into the grand foyer, the crystal chandeliers casting a warm light over the cold marble.
"Go upstairs and pack a small bag," Luca ordered, taking off his tuxedo jacket. "I am moving you to a secure safe house until the Romanos are dealt with."
"I'm not leaving you," I argued, stopping on the stairs.
"Mia, please, do as I say—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a deafening explosion rocked the estate. The massive oak front doors were blown entirely off their hinges, sending a shower of burning splinters and dust into the grand foyer.
The Romanos hadn't waited. They had brought the war to our doorstep.
Automatic gunfire erupted from the darkness outside, shattering the beautiful stained-glass windows. Luca tackled me to the marble floor, covering my body with his own as bullets shredded the expensive paintings on the walls above us.
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"We are breached!" a guard screamed over the radio before the sound of a shotgun silenced him.
Luca pulled me up, dragging me toward the hidden corridors behind the main staircase. The battle for survival had begun.
