Chapter 23
“Who sent you?” Carlo demanded, his voice steady, even as tension filled the air.
One of the intruders smirked. “Your time’s up, old man.”
Before they could answer with bullets, Carlo grabbed a hidden pistol from a drawer and fired, taking down the man who spoke. Chaos erupted as the remaining thugs opened fire.
“Get down!” Carlo growled, shoving Nadia behind the large oak desk. He ducked low, returning fire with precision. Years of running a mafia empire as an underboss had made him a formidable fighter, but he was outnumbered.
The thugs pressed forward. One managed to get close, but Carlo swung the heavy lamp from the desk, striking the man
across the face. The attacker fell, but more surged in to take his place.
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Nadia whimpered behind the desk,
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clutching a photo of Camilla as if it were a lifeline. “Carlo, please! There are too many of them!”
“I’ll handle this!” he barked back, his focus unyielding.
Outside, the muffled sounds of another skirmish echoed through the estate grounds.
Jackson ducked as a bullet whizzed past his. head, slamming into the wall beside him.
“Damn it, Ridge, these guys don‘ t quit!”
Ridge fired back, taking down one of the thugs. “We’ve gotta get to Carlo before it’s too late!”
They sprinted toward the estate, weaving through the chaos. Explosions echoed behind them as vehicles were blown apart
in the driveway.
Suddenly, Jackson’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He cursed but answered it mid–run.
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“Katie, now‘ s not the time!” he snapped.
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Katie‘ s panicked voice came through the line. “I need help! They’re here–at my
place! They’re going to kill me!”
Jackson glanced at Ridge, torn. “It‘ s Katie.”
Ridge grimaced, firing another shot. “We don‘ t have time for this!”
Katie‘ s desperate sobs filled the silence. “Please, Jackson! You’re the only one who can get here in time! I can’t fight anymore because I was injured and then I don’t have my gun. I’m just hiding, please. There are many men outside and I couldn’t get out.”
Jackson hesitated for only a moment before turning toward Ridge. “We go to her. If we don’t, she’s dead. Underboss
Carlo would surely handle himself.”
Ridge cursed under his breath but nodded.
“Fine, let‘ s move!”
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They veered off course, heading toward Katie’s location, leaving Carlo to fend for himself and his wife.
Carlo‘ s ammunition ran low. He knelt
behind the overturned desk, blood
trickling from a gash on his forehead. His wife clung to his arm, her sobs muffled by the chaos.
“Carlo, please! We have to surrender! They’ll kill us!”
He shook his head, his jaw clenched. “No. They’ll kill us either way. I’m not letting them touch you, not while I’m still breathing.”
The thugs began advancing, their boots crunching on broken glass and splintered
wood. Carlo’s eyes darted around the room, searching for anything to use as a
weapon.
One of the attackers, a hulking man with a scar across his face, sneered. “End of the line, Carlo. Say your prayers.”
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Carlo raised his pistol and fired his last shot, the bullet striking the scarred thug in the shoulder. The man staggered but didn’t fall.
“You’ll pay for that,” the thug growled, motioning for his men to charge.
The intruders lunged forward. Carlo
shoved his wife toward the study‘ s side
door. “Run, now!” he barked.
“I’m not leaving you!” she cried, her voice breaking.
“I’ll catch up! Go!”
Nadia hesitated for a heartbeat before
obeying, slipping through the door as Carlo picked up a broken chair leg, using it to fend off the closest attacker.
Nadia darted into the garden, her breath coming in panicked gasps. She stumbled over a loose stone but forced herself up, her eyes scanning for an escape route.
From behind, Carlo burst through the side
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door, clutching his side where a knife had
grazed him. He reached for her arm.
“This way!”
They ran together, weaving through the hedges toward the back gate. But more men appeared, blocking their path.
Carlo growled in frustration. “Get behind me!”
The men fired, forcing Carlo to push Nadia to the ground to shield her. He lunged forward, grabbing a discarded weapon from one of the fallen thugs. With deadly precision, he fired back, taking down two of the attackers.
Suddenly, a thug with a silver–plated pistol stepped forward, smirking. “Do you really think we would let you go when our purpose is to kill you?”
The thug aimed for his wife, but Carlo threw himself in front of her, taking the
shot meant for her chest. The bullet tore
through his shoulder, sending him to the
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ground with a guttural cry.
“Carlo!” Nadia screamed, clutching at
him.
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“Don’t worry, woman, we’re not going to kill you. It’s Carlo… because without him, Silver Bullets is nothing. Blame your Don Victorio… wait, where is he? Probably, saving his ass while you all died.”
The thugs retreated, their laughter echoing through the estate as Nadia cradled her wounded husband.
The phone buzzed loudly on the nightstand, pulling Camilla out of her peaceful moment with Don. She blinked groggily, her mind still clouded by sleep. As the vibrations continued, she reached for it with a soft groan.
“Hello?” she mumbled.
Her mother’s voice came through, weak and trembling. “Camilla… it’s your
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father. They… they attacked us.
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Camilla bolted upright, her heart hammering in her chest. “Mom? What happened? Are you okay?”
“We ran… we tried to escape, but Carlo… he–he took the bullet to save me,” her mother sobbed.
Camilla‘ s stomach dropped, her breath catching in her throat. “Is he–he’s alive, right? Tell me he‘ s alive!”
