Chapter 6 - The Cleansing

The lower level of the mansion was bathed in strobing emergency red lights.

Three heavily armed men in tactical gear stepped through the shattered glass of the rear terrace, suppressed submachine guns raised, sweeping the expansive living room. They moved with military precision, clearing corners and checking blind spots.

They didn't see me in the shadows behind the grand marble fireplace.

I stepped out and fired twice. The lead operative collapsed instantly, a pair of heavy .45 rounds tearing through his chest plate.

Before the other two could bring their barrels around, Marco opened fire from the upper mezzanine with an automatic rifle, cutting down the second gunman in a hail of brass and lead. The third intruder dove behind a leather sofa, firing wildly into the ceiling.

I advanced through the smoke, firing three controlled shots through the back of the sofa. The firing stopped. A heavy groan followed, then dead silence.

"Clear!" Marco shouted from above, vaulting over the railing and landing lightly on the marble floor.

"How many breached the perimeter?" I demanded, reloading my magazine with practiced speed.

"Six total," Marco answered, checking the pulse of the fallen men. "Four down. The remaining two are pinned down by the gatehouse crew. Boss... look at this."

Marco kicked over the lead operative’s weapon and ripped the tactical patch from his shoulder. It bore the insignia of Don Carmine Castiglione's personal security detail. Taped to the operative's wrist was a high-resolution photograph of Hannah walking through the estate gardens three days prior, Leo held in her arms.

My blood ran ice cold.

"They weren't just coming for me," I growled, crushing the photograph in my fist. "They were coming to slaughter the wet nurse and leave Leo to starve."

"Carmine knows she's the only reason the boy survived," Marco said darkly. "He wants the Rossi line extinguished completely."

I turned toward the grand staircase, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Call the full team. Get the armored convoy ready. Carmine Castiglione dies tonight."

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"And the boy?" Marco asked.

"Hannah will keep him safe in the vault until I return," I said, heading toward the master wing. "Lock down the entire estate perimeter. If anything breathes within five hundred yards of this house without authorization, kill it."