Chapter 3 - DANCING WITH BULLETS
Before the guards could pull their triggers, Victor moved with terrifying speed.
He grabbed the nearest guard by the wrist, snapping it with a sickening crunch.
He ripped the gun from the man's grip and fired two rounds into the second guard's chest.
Screams erupted throughout the luxurious ballroom as guests scrambled for the exits.
Glass champagne flutes shattered on the marble floor as chaos took over.
Victor scooped Lily up in his left arm, protecting her head against his shoulder.
"Close your eyes and cover your ears, Lily," he ordered fiercely.
The little girl buried her face into his neck and held on with all her strength.
Victor fired three swift shots behind him without even looking, hitting his targets.
Muzzle flashes illuminated the dark corners of the grand hall.
Salvatore sprinted toward his private security elevator, guarded by heavy enforcers.
"Don't let him leave this building alive!" Salvatore shrieked to his remaining men.
Bullets whistled past Victor’s ears, chipping away the marble pillars.
Victor ducked behind a grand piano, catching his breath while holding Lily tight.
"Are you okay, little heart?" Victor asked softly, checking her for injuries.
Lily nodded quietly, her body trembling, but she did not cry a single tear.
"You smell like rain and tobacco," she whispered into his suit collar.
"Just like Mommy said you would."
Victor felt a sharp sting of regret in his chest, but he forced it down.
Survival was the only priority right now.
He pulled a smoke grenade from his inner coat pocket and pulled the pin with his teeth.
He threw it directly into the center of the room, flooding the ballroom with white smoke.
Coughing and confused gunshots filled the air.
Victor used the darkness to slip out through the service exit into the cold alleyway.
Rain was pouring heavily outside, washing over the asphalt.
His black sedan was parked twenty yards away, idling in the dark.
May you like
Just as he reached the car door, a gun barrel pressed hard against the back of his neck.
"End of the line, Victor," a familiar voice whispered from the shadows.
