Chapter 5 - The Lion's Counterattack
In a blur of lethal motion, Rocco swept his hand across the table, grabbing his Beretta and firing twice through the wood. The bullets punched upward, catching Vance in the thigh and dropping the traitor to his knees with a scream of agony.
The mercenaries pivoted to fire at Rocco, but the heavy oak doors behind them blew inward with an explosive crash.
"Moretti family! Drop your weapons!"
A dozen loyal enforcers, led by veteran capos who had fought beside Rocco since the old country, flooded the dining room from the courtyard entrance. Crossfire lit up the room in flashes of white-hot fury. Glass shattered, plaster rained down from the ceiling, and within thirty seconds, the four mercenaries lay disarmed and bleeding on the imported Persian rug.
Valentina screamed, grabbing a heavy silver candelabra as she bolted toward the side corridor leading to the underground escape route.
"Let her run," Rocco commanded, his voice dripping with ice as he stood over the crippled Dominic Vance. He kicked Vance’s rifle across the floor, pressing the barrel of his gun against the traitor's forehead. "She won't make it past the front gate. The automated turret defense system was activated the moment the power cut."
A muffled thud echoed from the courtyard outside, followed by the silent, absolute stillness of a trap closing shut.
Rocco looked up toward the stairs. Elena stood at the top landing, clutching the newborn tightly to her chest, while Sophia stood beside her, lowering the heavy grenade back into its metal safety box with surgical precision.
"Bring the boy down," Rocco said softly.
As Elena walked down the grand staircase, the smoke clearing around them, Rocco stepped forward and gently peeled back the cream-colored blanket. The baby’s eyes were wide, dark, and unmistakably Moretti.
"What is his name?" Sophia asked quietly, stepping down beside the mafia boss.
May you like
Rocco looked at the tiny hospital bracelet, scratching off the fake mud with his thumb to reveal the clean, unalterable truth beneath.
"His name," Rocco said, his voice thick with an emotion he hadn't felt in eight years, "is Leo. And he is coming home."
