Chapter 8 - The Siege of the Moretti Mansion
The mercenaries turned in shock as a curvy woman emerged through the white chemical fog, spraying a thick cloud of fire-retardant foam directly into the faces of the two lead shooters.
"Get the dogs!" Grace shouted to Titan, her voice cutting through the panic like a trumpet call. "Go! FREE!"
Titan let out a roar that echoed off the high stone walls of the mansion.
Despite the stinging tear gas, the six massive hounds charged through the clearing fog like mythical beasts unleashed from the underworld. They hit the mercenary line with catastrophic force. Weapons were knocked from hands; armor was torn like paper as three hundred pounds of instinct and rage protected their mistress.
Don Falcone backed toward his armored SUV in utter terror, pulling a silver revolver from his coat. "Shoot the bitch!" he screamed.
A mercenary raised his rifle, aiming directly at Grace's chest.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
A heavy black Maserati shattered the iron main gates, drifting violently across the cobblestones and slamming directly into Falcone’s armored SUV, crushing two mercenaries against the stone wall.
Luca Moretti leaped out of the driver's side before the car had even stopped spinning.
He moved with the terrifying speed of an apex predator. His shotgun roared three times, clearing the courtyard perimeter in seconds. He swept through the remaining mercenaries like a storm of fire and lead, his face twisted in a absolute, murderous rage.
Within ninety seconds, the courtyard was silent, save for the idling engine of the crushed Maserati and the heavy panting of the six hounds.
Luca dropped his empty weapon and sprinted across the blood-stained flagstones toward Grace.
"Grace!" he roared, grabbing her by her shoulders, his hands shaking as he scanned her body for injuries. "Grace! Are you hit? Look at me!"
"I'm fine," Grace gasped, wiping tear gas residue from her eyes, her hand instantly reaching out to clasp his face. "I'm fine, Luca... the dogs saved me."
Luca pulled her against his chest with a force that took her breath away, burying his face in her hair, his heart hammering like a war drum against her cheek.
"If I had lost you," Luca rasped, his voice breaking, "I would have burned this entire city to the ground."
He turned slowly toward Don Falcone, who was crawling through the shattered glass near his crushed vehicle, bleeding and whimpering.
Luca stepped over, standing over the old mobster. Titan stepped up beside Luca, placing one bloody paw on Falcone’s chest.
"Please... Luca..." Falcone begged, clutching his broken leg. "It was just business... the charter... the vault..."
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"Business is over," Luca said coldly.
He didn't fire a bullet. He simply looked down at Titan and nodded once.
