Chapter 4 - Fire in the RainA heavy, muffled THUD echoed from the front hallway, followed immediately by the splintering crash of the exterior apartment door being kicked off its hinges.
Vincent whipped his head around toward the doorway.
That single fraction of a second was all Dominic needed.
With blinding speed, Dominic pivoted on his heel, grabbed the heavy cast-iron skillet, and smashed it directly into Vincent’s wrist. The gun discharged with a deafening roar, sending a bullet tearing through the kitchen ceiling just as Vincent shrieked in agony, dropping the weapon.
Dominic didn't hesitate. He drove his elbow upward into Vincent’s jaw, sending the rival lieutenant crashing hard against the refrigerator before collapsing unconscious onto the linoleum floor.
Bruno Hayes appeared in the doorway seconds later, a suppressed tactical rifle raised, his eyes scanning the room in a fraction of a second. "Boss? You hit?"
"I'm fine," Dominic breathed heavily, his chest heaving as he stared down at the groaning mobster. He turned toward the hallway where Elena stood frozen, pulling a terrified Lily tightly into her arms.
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"Dominic..." Elena whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Dominic crossed the kitchen floor in two long strides, dropping to his knees in front of Lily and Elena. He didn't care about the blood on his knuckles or the chaos around them. He gently pulled both of them into his arms, burying his face against Elena’s shoulder as the suffocating weight of five lost years finally shattered.
