Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Dark
“CLARA! GET DOWN!” Roman roared from below.
I ducked behind the heavy oak balcony railing as a spray of heavy caliber bullets chewed through the plaster wall right above my head. Plaster dust and shattered wood rained down over my hair.
Down in the library, pure chaos had erupted. Miles Vance, taking advantage of the sudden ambush, kicked outward with his heavy dress shoe, slamming into Roman’s knee. Roman fired his weapon, but the shot missed Miles’s head by an inch, shattering a stone vase on the mantel as Miles scrambled frantically into the dark servant corridors behind the fireplace.
“Elena!” Roman barked into his shoulder radio, ignoring the blood dripping from a small glass scratch on his own cheekbone. “Lock down the medical bay! Secure Ethan!”
Four heavily armed Duca guards burst into the library, returning fire toward the grand foyer where ten masked Irish mercenaries were advancing behind tactical shields.
Roman didn't fire at the front door. He turned around, his eyes locking onto me where I was crouched on the balcony above.
In three massive strides, he bounded up the curved marble staircase, dodging stray bullets as if they were nothing more than raindrops. He reached the balcony, grabbed me by the waist, and yanked me flush against his hard chest, shielding my head with his body as he dragged me into the secure East Wing hallway.
He slammed the heavy steel-reinforced security door shut behind us, locking the mechanical bolts into place.
The deafening roar of the gunfight below became a muffled, distant thudding.
“Are you hurt?” Roman demanded, his hands instantly searching my arms, my shoulders, my face for any sign of blood. His touch was firm, frantic, completely devoid of the icy calm he usually maintained.
“I’m… I’m fine,” I gasped out, clutching his dark shirt for balance. My heart felt like it was going to burst right through my ribs. “Who are those people?!”
“Liam O’Connor’s strike team,” Roman stated grimly, racking the slide of his pistol to chamber a fresh round. “Miles sold them our perimeter codes. They bypassed the outer guard posts before our sensors even flagged them.”
He pulled me down the dim hallway toward a small, hidden wall panel. He pressed his hand against the scanner, and a seamless concealed door slid open into a dark, narrow panic room.
“Get inside,” Roman ordered.
I looked into the small, windowless steel room, then back at him. “What about you?”
“I have an empire to defend,” Roman said coldly. “And a traitor to kill.”
“Roman, wait!” I pulled on his arm, forcing him to look at me. “Miles didn't act alone! Right before the shooting started, he said something else!”
Roman froze, his dark eyes narrowing. “What did he say?”
“He said 'The O’Connors have your whole territory mapped out,'” I remembered frantically. “He said they weren't just targeting Ethan… they were targeting your supply lines at Pier 4! He was trying to draw all your guards here so the docks would be completely unprotected!”
Roman stared at me, his jaw tightening as the pieces of the puzzle clicked together in his mind.
“The shipment,” Roman whispered to himself, a dark realization dawning on his face. “Two hundred million dollars in gold reserves arriving at midnight. If they take Pier 4, they bankrupt the Duca family in a single night.”
He looked at me with something that resembled pure astonishment.
“You’re not just a waitress, are you, Clara?” he asked softly, a faint, dangerous smile touching his lips despite the war raging downstairs.
“I grew up in South Boston,” I said, wiping plaster dust from my forehead. “My father was a dock worker before he died. I know how those men think.”
Roman reached out, his heavy gloved fingers gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from my eyes. His thumb lingered against my cheekbone for one long, thrilling second.
May you like
“Stay in this room,” Roman murmured, his voice dropping into a deep, possessive murmur. “When I clean this house, Clara… I am coming back for you. And you and I are going to talk about your new place in my world.”
Before I could answer, he shoved me gently into the panic room and hit the lock button. The heavy steel door slid shut, sealing me into the dark safety of the vault, while Roman Duca walked back into the fire to reclaim his city.
