Chapter 7 - The Vault Below
""You sold out Marco,"" Elise said, positioning her body so that Ivy was completely shielded behind her back against the vault door.
Argo stepped forward, standing between Victor's gun and Elise, a low, menacing growl vibrating the subterranean floor. The dog’s eyes were locked onto Victor’s chest.
""Sold him out?"" Victor laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. ""Marco was a fool playing righteous crusader with a family empire. Aegis-Vanguard offered me fifty million dollars and a seat at the table in exchange for Castellani Logistics’ trade routes. Marco was going to ruin everything for a moral crusade. And your husband... your husband was just collateral damage.""
""And Dante?"" Elise asked, stalling for time as her hand subtly slipped toward the surgical scalpel inside the medical kit at her waist. ""What did you tell them about Dante?""
""Dante is dying tonight,"" Victor said casually. ""The strike team upstairs is wiping out his personal guard as we speak. When they find his body, it will look like an internal cartel hit. And I will inherit the Castellani empire as the loyal second-in-command who survived the tragedy.""
Victor raised his weapon, his finger tightening on the trigger. ""Now, step aside and let me put a bullet in that mutt's skull. The chip inside him is worth more than this entire estate.""
""Argo, NO!"" Ivy cried out from behind Elise.
Victor shifted his aim toward the child for a fraction of a second. That was all Argo needed.
Ignoring the agonizing pain in his shattered hip, the massive black beast launched himself across the ten-foot gap with terrifying speed. Victor fired two rounds in rapid succession—one bullet grazed Argo's shoulder, the other shattered a wine cask behind him, splashing crimson liquid like blood across the stone floor.
With a bone-crushing impact, Argo slammed his ninety-pound frame directly into Victor’s chest, knocking the grown man off his feet. The pistol clattered across the wet stones, sliding toward Elise’s feet.
Victor screamed in terror as Argo pinned him to the floor, his jaws clamping down hard on Victor’s gun arm with a sickening crunch.
""Call him off! Shoot him! CALL HIM OFF!"" Victor shrieked, thrashing violently as the dog held him down with absolute, merciless fury.
Elise kicked the fallen weapon toward the vault, then grabbed a heavy iron cellar chain from the wall. Moving with clinical efficiency, she wrapped the chain around Victor's legs and bound his free arm to an iron stanchion, pulling the knot so tight it cut into his skin.
""Let go, Argo,"" Elise commanded firmly. ""Out!""
Argo hesitated for a heartbeat, his teeth slick with blood, before obeying the command. He released Victor’s crushed arm and backed away, collapsing heavily onto his side, his breathing ragged and labored. Blood was pooling from the bullet wound in his shoulder.
""Good boy,"" Elise whispered, dropping to her knees beside the faithful animal, tears burning her eyes. ""Good boy, you did it.""
""Mama,"" Ivy sobbed, running to the dog and pressing her small hands over his bleeding side. ""Fix him. Please fix him.""
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""I will, baby. I promise,"" Elise said, pulling open the emergency medical kit. ""Go inside the vault and lock the safety latch from the inside. Don't open it until you hear my voice.""
Elise knew she didn't have much time. Upstairs, the gunfire was growing louder, moving toward the lower levels. She had two lives to save: the dog who had protected her child, and the man fighting for his life above.
