Chapter 4 - FIRE IN THE DARK
The reinforced glass of the front entryway didn't shatter—it exploded inward in a cascade of diamond-sharp shards as a heavy breaching charge blew the frame outward.
"Down!" Caden roared, shoving Elena toward the heavy concrete pillar beside the bassinet as automatic gunfire raked the living room. Plaster dust exploded from the walls, raining down white powder over the expensive designer furniture.
Through the smoke, tactical operatives in unmarked black gear poured through the blown-out doors, moving with military precision. But they weren't standard mercenaries; they wore the distinct green armbands of Julian Voss’s personal enforcers.
"Ortega! Secure the nursery flank!" Caden shouted over the deafening rattle of gunfire, leaning around the concrete pillar and returning fire with brutal, calculated efficiency. Two of the lead intruders dropped instantly, hit dead-center through their body armor plates.
Elena pressed her back against the cool concrete, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. One of the operatives skirted the edge of the living room, aiming a suppressed submachine gun directly toward the bassinet where the triplets had finally woken up, wailing in absolute terror.
No.
The fear vanished, replaced by the primitive, feral fury of a mother whose nest was being invaded. Elena didn't think; she rolled out from behind the pillar, raised the heavy pistol with both hands, and squeezed the trigger three times.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The operative took a round to the shoulder and collapsed against the glass coffee table, dropping his weapon.
Caden glanced back, a rare flash of stunned respect cutting through his stone-cold expression. "Not bad for a waitress."
"I was a caretaker for two years," Elena panted, keeping her weapon trained on the smoke-filled doorway. "You learn how to handle heavy lifting."
More footsteps thundered from the hallway behind them—not enemies, but Ortega and a half-dozen of Caden’s loyalists, weapons drawn and locked down.
"Sector Four is clear, boss," Ortega barked, stepping over a fallen intruder. "The advance party is neutralized, but the main gate sensors show an armored transport coming up the switchbacks. Julian brought an army."
Caden holstered his weapon for a fraction of a second, his face hardening into an expression of absolute, merciless resolve.
May you like
"Good," Caden said softly. "Let him come to my house. Let him see what happens when you touch what is mine." He turned his gaze to Elena, who was kneeling by the bassinet, shushing the crying babies with practiced, rhythmic murmurs. "Can you hold the inner sanctum?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Elena said, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light. "Those are my kids out there in the crossfire. If Julian wants them, he has to go through me first."
