Chapter 6 - BLOOD AND LIGHTNING
Mateo froze, his eyes widening in shock. For a second, the child inside him who had once feared his father resurfaced. But Julian pushed past him, screaming, "He’s weak! Shoot him!"
BOOM!
Don Alejandro pulled the trigger. The blast shattered the wall just inches above Julian’s head, sending wood splinters and plaster flying. Julian shrieked in terror and threw himself backward down the stairs.
The three hired thugs, realizing they were facing an insane old man with a shotgun, panicked and fled into the dark estate.
Mateo, driven mad by greed, lunged forward, tackling his frail father to the bed. The shotgun discharged harmlessly into the ceiling as the two men fought for control of the weapon.
"No!" Valeria screamed.
Disregarding her intense labor pain, Valeria rushed forward and swung the heavy iron fire poker with all her strength, striking Mateo across the shoulder. Mateo yelled in pain, dropping his revolver. He turned and struck Valeria across the face, sending her crashing to the floor.
"Valeria!" Don Alejandro roared.
Using the absolute last ounce of strength in his failing body, Don Alejandro wrapped his arms around Mateo’s neck from behind, locking his son in a chokehold. Mateo thrashed violently, driving his elbow into the old man's ribs.
"You ruined... my life!" Mateo choked out, struggling for breath.
"You ruined... your own," Don Alejandro gasped, his heart fluttering wildly, failing fast.
Below, the sirens began to wail.
Valeria, lying on the floor, had managed to crawl to the window earlier and hit the emergency panic alarm linked directly to the regional police station. The loud, deafening siren echoed across the entire valley, accompanied by red and blue lights flashing through the rain-soaked trees down the driveway.
Julian, hearing the sirens, jumped into his SUV and sped away, completely abandoning his brother.
Mateo managed to break free from Don Alejandro’s grip, kicking the old man away. He picked up his gun, his face dripping with sweat and blood. He looked at Valeria, who was curling on the floor in intense agony as a contraction hit her.
"This isn't over!" Mateo spat, hearing the police officers breaching the front gates downstairs. He grabbed the leather folder containing the estate deeds from the desk and ran out into the storm through the balcony exit.
Valeria crawled on her hands and knees toward Don Alejandro.
The old man lay on the bed, his breathing shallow, his face deathly pale. He looked at Valeria, a faint, sad smile touching his lips.
"The children..." Don Alejandro whispered, his voice fading like a dying flame. "They are safe?"
"They are safe," Valeria sobbed, clutching his cold hand. "Please, hold on! The ambulance is coming!"
"I waited... thirty-six years... to fix my mistake," Don Alejandro murmured, his eyes looking past her, into the dark ceiling. "You are... the true strength of this family, Valeria. Protect... El Milagro..."
His hand went limp. His final breath left his chest in a soft sigh.
Don Alejandro de la Vega was dead.
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Valeria let out a heartbreaking cry, holding the old man's hand against her cheek as the police officers flooded into the room. At that exact moment, a sharp, violent pain pierced through her core. Her water broke.
The baby was coming.
