Chapter 23 - The Siege at Dawn
We knew Sicily wouldn’t stop at a warning. That night, the Pascale estate transformed into a fortress once more. Heavy iron shutters locked over the ground-floor windows, and Massimo’s loyal guards took up positions along the perimeter walls.
I sat in the command room beside Massimo, watching the infrared security monitors flicker with ghostly green heat signatures approaching through the woods.
“They’re coming through the north treeline,” I noted, pointing at screen four.
Massimo didn't look at the monitor; he was cleaning a 9mm Beretta with methodical precision, his hands steady as stone. “They think they’re hunting a cripple who got lucky. They don't realize I built this house to withstand a siege.”
Suddenly, the night air shattered with the deafening roar of automatic gunfire. Glass exploded in the grand foyer below. The raid had begun.
“Stay here, Tessa,” Massimo commanded, standing up and pulling the slide of his firearm back with a sharp, metallic clack.
May you like
“Like hell I’m staying here,” I retorted, pulling a small, heavy medical scalpel case from my bag and slipping it into my pocket. “I’m your doctor, Massimo. Who’s going to patch you up if you get reckless?”
A fierce, dangerous smile broke across his face. “God help anyone who gets between us.”
