Chapter 6 - Blood on the Marble
The garden was a battlefield of shadows and smoke. Vincent moved with the lethal, fluid grace that had made him the most feared boss on the eastern seaboard for three decades.
He flanked the first two intruders near the marble fountain, dropping them with precise, single shots before they even registered his presence. He advanced through the trimmed hedges, every sense sharpened to a razor's edge.
Ahead, the front door of the carriage house hung open, splintered into pieces.
Inside, Carmen was shielding Isabella in the corner of the small kitchen, holding a heavy iron frying pan with both hands, her eyes burning with maternal fury. Dominic Moretti stood over them, a cruel grin on his face, leveling his pistol at Carmen's head.
"Drop it, woman," Dominic snarled. "You're our ticket to the docks."
"Step away from them, Dominic."
Dominic spun around, but Vincent was already in motion. Vincent fired a shot that shattered Dominic's right wrist, sending the weapon clattering across the floor. Before the second guard could raise his weapon, Vincent fired twice into the man's chest.
Dominic collapsed onto his knees, howling in agony, clutching his shattered hand.
Vincent walked over, his expression carved from granite. He kicked Dominic's fallen pistol across the room, then looked over at Carmen and Isabella.
"Are either of you hurt?" Vincent asked, his voice low and steady.
"No, Mr. Torino," Carmen gasped, clutching Isabella, whose face was buried in her mother’s chest, sobbing softly.
Vincent turned his attention back to Dominic, pointing the barrel of his rifle directly between the man's eyes.
"Silvio sent you to steal a child from my house," Vincent said. "He made a fatal miscalculation."
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"Torino, wait—" Dominic begged, all his arrogance dissolving into sheer terror. "We can make a deal! The docks—take the docks! Take everything!"
"There are no deals for men who threaten children under my protection," Vincent replied coldly, and pulled the trigger.
