Chapter 5 - The Snake at the Gate
The storm outside had intensified by midnight, turning the Long Island Sound into a churning mass of black water and white foam. Inside the nursery, Hunter sat in the rocking chair, clutching Leo to her chest long after he had finished feeding. Her eyes were fixed on the white slip of paper resting on the small table beside her.
How did Tommy get this in here? The question circled her mind like a vulture. The Rossi estate was supposed to be a fortress, yet a violent, desperate drug addict from Queens had somehow managed to drop a note onto her bedside table.
The connecting door clicked open.
Lorenzo stepped into the room, his long black cashmere coat wet from the rain, his jaw tight. He looked at Hunter’s pale face, his sharp eyes instantly noticing the way she was holding the baby—too tight, too defensive.
"What is it?" Lorenzo asked, stepping closer.
Hunter didn't speak. She simply pointed her finger at the white note on the table.
Lorenzo walked over, picked up the paper, and read it in a single glance. The change in him was instantaneous. The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees, the skin around his eyes tightening until his face resembled a skull carved from marble.
"Mateo!" he roared toward the hallway.
Within seconds, the head of security was in the room, his gun drawn before he even crossed the threshold. "What’s wrong, boss?"
Lorenzo tossed the note onto Mateo’s chest. "Explain how this piece of trash ended up on the third floor of my house while my son was sleeping."
Mateo read the text, his face draining of color. "That’s impossible. The perimeter hasn't been tripped. The third-floor cameras—"
"The cameras are useless if the snake is already inside the house," Lorenzo said, his voice dangerously low. He walked over to Hunter, his large hand coming down to rest gently on top of her head, a rare gesture of protective reassurance that surprised them both. "Who handled the deliveries from the city this afternoon?"
Mateo swallowed hard. "The laundry service. Two new guys from the agency. We checked their IDs at the gate, but..."
"Find them," Lorenzo ordered, his voice cracking like a whip. "Bring them to the basement. And find Tommy Vance. I want him alive, Mateo. I want to show him what happens to men who threaten the woman who feeds my son."
"Right away, boss," Mateo said, turning on his heel and vanishing into the corridor.
Lorenzo looked down at Hunter, his dark eyes softening slightly as he noticed the way her shoulders were shaking. He dropped to one knee beside the rocking chair, his massive frame making the delicate piece of furniture look small.
"You're safe here, Hunter," he said, his voice a low, rough murmur. "I gave you my word. No one touches you in this house."
"He killed my baby, Lorenzo," Hunter whispered, the tears finally breaking over her eyelashes, her voice cracking with the weight of the grief she had been carrying for weeks. "He pushed me down the stairs because I wouldn't give him my rent money. My little Lily... she never even got to open her eyes. I can't let him near Leo. I can't."
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Lorenzo didn't speak. He reached out, his long, powerful fingers closing around her small, shaking hand, squeezing it with an absolute, unyielding intensity.
"He won't ever look at another child again, Hunter," Lorenzo whispered, his eyes filled with a terrifying, ancient promise. "I will burn the city before I let him breathe the same air as you."
