Chapter 8 - The Price Of A Family
The calm was shattered thirty-six hours later, on the morning of Christmas Eve.
A massive blizzard had paralyzed Chicago, grounding flights and blanketing the skyline under three feet of drifting snow. Inside the Moretti mansion, Nora was helping Tony decorate a towering twelve-foot spruce in the center of the great room. The brass carousel sat proudly on the mantelpiece above the roaring hearth, its tiny horse repaired with fine silver solder by Dominic’s private jeweler.
Suddenly, the estate’s power cut out completely.
The cheerful Christmas lights died instantly, plunging the vast hall into cold, gray winter gloom.
Outside, the shrill screech of perimeter alarms wailed against the howling wind, followed immediately by the rapid, terrifying staccato of heavy gunfire at the estate gates.
Frank burst into the living room, a tactical rifle slung across his chest, his face pale and grim. ""Boss! Valenti's entire operation just breached the lower gate! They brought two snowplows to ram the security barriers. They know Thomas was intercepted, and Vincent is executing a scorched-earth play before federal warrants drop next week!""
Dominic appeared from the mezzanine staircase, moving with terrifying speed, strapping on a tactical vest over his dark sweater. ""Nora! Take Tony into the safe room behind the pantry. Lock the vault from the inside. Do not open that door for anyone except me or Frank.""
Tony began to sob, his small hands clutching Nora’s waist in absolute terror. ""Dad! Don't go out there!""
Dominic paused, dropping to one knee before his son. He grabbed Tony by the back of his neck, pulling his forehead against his own. ""Anthony, listen to me. You are a Moretti. You protect the people you love. Take Miss Nora to the vault, and hold her hand until I come back. Do you hear me?""
Tony sniffled hard, wiping his nose, and nodded with fierce, desperate determination. ""Yes, sir.""
Dominic looked up at Nora. For a single heartbeat, the lethal mob kingpin vanished, leaving only a man who had finally found something worth dying for. He reached out, his hand tangling into her thick red hair, and pulled her down into a fierce, breathless, possessive kiss that tasted of fire and desperation.
""Keep him safe,"" Dominic breathed against her lips. ""I will come back for both of you.""
""You better,"" Nora whispered back, her voice shaking with fierce defiance. ""We have Christmas dinner to finish.""
Dominic turned with lethal purpose, racking the slide of his weapon as he charged toward the front courtyard alongside Frank and a dozen loyal enforcers.
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Nora grabbed Tony’s hand, sprinting across the marble hallway toward the kitchen. Behind them, the massive front oak doors splintered with a deafening explosion, showering the grand entryway in wood fragments and blinding white smoke. Men shouted in the fog, the violent echoes of combat turning the grand mansion into a battlefield.
Nora shoved Tony into the hidden pantry vault, her heart pounding in her throat. Just as she stepped inside to seal the six-inch steel door, a heavy boot caught the threshold, blocking the mechanism.
