1.The first time the Mafia boss’s baby reached for me, I thought he wanted the silver necklace around my throat.

In an instant, the gentle, vulnerable man disappeared, replaced entirely by the cold, ruthless leader of the Moretti syndicate.

Luca pulled a concealed hand-gun from beneath the sofa cushion with terrifying speed, racking the slide before I could even process what was happening.

“Get upstairs!” Luca barked, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. “Take Leo into the safe room behind the nursery wardrobe! Lock the door and do not open it for anyone except me or Donato!”

“Luca, what’s happening?” I cried, panic flooding my veins as the sharp sound of automatic gunfire erupted from the front gates outside.

“The Romanos,” he growled, shoving me toward the heavy oak stairs. “GO!”

I didn't run—I sprinted.

I burst into the nursery just as a stray bullet shattered the high glass window, sending sharp shards raining across the carpet. Leo woke up with a terrified shriek, his little arms flailing in the darkness.

“I’ve got you, sweetie! I’ve got you!” I screamed, snatching him from the crib and wrapping him tight in my arms.

I threw open the heavy wooden wardrobe, pressed the hidden release button behind the clothes racks, and slipped into the reinforced steel safe room hidden within the wall. I slammed the heavy door shut, pulling the mechanical vault lever down until it clicked into place.

Inside, the room was dimly lit by red emergency lights. A monitor on the wall displayed live feeds from the security cameras across the property.

I sat on the floor, holding Leo tightly against my chest, covering his ears as the sound of muffled explosions and gunfire echoed through the heavy walls of the mansion.

On the security screen, I watched the horror unfold.

Dozens of masked men in black tactical gear were storming the main lobby. The Moretti guards were fighting back viciously, but they were outnumbered.

Then I saw Luca.

He moved through the smoke like a dark demon, shooting with lethal, terrifying precision. Every movement was calculated, cold, and devastating. He was protecting his home, his son, and... me.

Suddenly, the screen showing the second-floor hallway flickered.

A tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a tactical vest broke away from the main fight, stepping over the fallen guards and heading straight down the corridor toward the nursery!

My blood turned to ice.

He carried a heavy sledgehammer and a submachine gun. He slammed his boot against the nursery door, kicking it wide open.

Through the small glass viewport of the safe room door, I could see him searching the ruined room.

Leo began to whimper in my arms.

“Shh, baby, please,” I sobbed silently, pressing my hand gently over his tiny mouth, tears spilling over my eyelashes. “Please stay quiet...”

The attacker turned toward the wardrobe. He noticed the hidden seam in the wood.

A cold, wicked grin spread across his face as he raised the sledgehammer, swinging it with massive force against the reinforced steel door!

CLANG!

The heavy metal groaned under the impact.

Leo burst into loud, frantic screams.

“I know you’re in there, little girl!” the man yelled, his voice muffled by the steel. “Open the door, or I’ll blow this wall to pieces!”

He raised his gun, pointing the barrel directly at the viewport.

I backed into the corner of the safe room, shielding Leo’s body with my own, closing my eyes and waiting for the end.

BOOM!

A loud shot echoed from the nursery outside, followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting the floor.

Silence fell over the room.

I sat frozen on the floor, my chest heaving, holding my breath.

A few seconds later, three quick knocks sounded on the steel door.

“Avery?” Luca’s voice called out, raspy, exhausted, and laced with panic. “Avery, open the door! It’s safe!”

I scrambled to my feet, grabbed the heavy vault lever, and threw the door open.

Luca stood in the doorway, covered in soot, blood splattered across his white shirt and cheek.

The moment he saw us unharmed, his gun dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. He stepped inside, wrapped his massive arms around both me and Leo, and pulled us fiercely against his chest.