Chapter 9 - THE SIEGE OF MONTAPU
"Get the children to the safe room! NOW!" Leo roared through the intercom, his voice instantly shifting into battle command mode.
He drew a heavy 9mm handgun from a concealed drawer beneath his desk, checking the chamber with practiced, lethal speed. He turned to Cory, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"Cory, listen to me. Go to the master bedroom. Behind the wardrobe in my dressing room is a steel door. Punch in code 1004. Get every single child inside and lock it from the interior. Do not open it for anyone except me or Franco."
"Leo, no! You can't go out there alone!" Cory cried out, her eyes wide with terror as she gripped his lapels.
"I am not alone. I have my men," Leo said fiercely. He cupped her face, planting a hard, desperate kiss on her lips that tasted of danger and promises. "Go! Protect our family!"
Cory sprinted out of the study and up the grand staircase as the sound of shattering glass and heavy gunfire echoed from the lower levels of the mansion.
"Thomas! Pearl! Gather everyone!" Cory screamed as she burst into the east wing.
The children were already spilling out into the hallway, terrified by the loud booms vibrating through the floorboards. Thomas was carrying little Rose, while Pearl held Lucy and Mabel by their hands.
"Follow me! Fast!" Cory yelled, guiding the flock of nine children into the master suite dressing room.
She shoved the heavy mahogany wardrobe aside, revealing the hidden steel vault door. With trembling fingers, she punched in the code: 1-0-0-4.
The heavy door unlocked with a pneumatic hiss, swinging open to reveal a carpeted, fully stocked panic room with security monitors, food, water, and emergency medical kits.
"Inside! All of you, get inside!" Cory commanded, pushing the children through the door.
"Cory, where are you going?" Thomas shouted, grabbing her arm as she turned back toward the dressing room.
"I have to make sure the door seals properly from the outside frame!" Cory lied, giving Thomas a fierce, loving look. "Stay with them, Thomas. You're the big brother. Protect them."
Cory pulled the heavy steel door shut, hearing the internal lock engage with a reassuring metallic thud.
She turned around—and froze.
Standing in the doorway of the master suite was Dante Moretti.
He was a thin, oily man in his late fifties, with slicked-back dark hair, pockmarked skin, and a cruel, twisted smile. In his hand, he held a silenced pistol pointed directly at Cory’s chest. Behind him stood two heavy-set enforcement thugs holding submachine guns.
"Well, well, well," Dante sneered, looking Cory up and down with disgusting appraisal. "The new Mrs. Montalupo. The plus-sized charity case Leo married to play house."
Cory stood tall, her broad shoulders back, her eyes burning with pure, fearless fury. "You're trespassing, Mr. Moretti. And my husband is going to kill you."
Dante laughed—a dry, grating sound. "Your husband is currently pinned down in the grand foyer by six of my best shooters. He won't be coming up those stairs, sweet heart. Now... tell me where the panic room code is, or I’ll put a bullet through your pretty knee."
Cory didn't flinch. She stepped directly between Dante and the wardrobe hiding her nine children, her voice dripping with venom.
"You can put a bullet through my head, Moretti. But you will never get through that door, and you will never touch those children."
Dante’s smile vanished, replaced by ugly rage. "Stubborn bitch," he spat, raising the gun to aim at her face.
A deafening gunshot shattered the room.
Dante’s eyes widened in sudden, horrifying shock. A red spot bloomed in the center of his chest. He staggered backward, dropping his gun, before crashing heavily onto the hardwood floor, dead before he hit the ground.
Standing behind him in the doorway was Leo.
His charcoal suit was torn, his knuckles bloody, his gray eyes glowing with the terrifying, unbridled wrath of a demon protecting his kingdom. Behind him lay the two thugs, neutralised by Franco and Leo's men.
Leo dropped his smoking gun, stepped over Dante’s body, and sprinted across the room, gathering Cory into his arms with a force that nearly lifted her off her feet.
"Cory... my God, Cory," Leo choked out, burying his face in her neck, his broad chest heaving as he held her like a man holding onto his salvation. "Are you hurt? Did he touch you?"
"I'm okay... I'm okay," Cory sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, feeling his rapid heartbeat against her chest. "The children are safe. They're inside."
Leo pulled back slightly, framing her face with his bloody, trembling hands, staring into her eyes with a love so deep, so profound, it shattered every remaining wall between them.
May you like
"I love you, Cordelia," Leo confessed, his voice breaking with raw emotion. "I love you more than my own life."
Cory smiled through her tears, pressing her lips to his in a passionate, desperate kiss that sealed their souls together forever. "I love you too, Leandro. I loved you from the moment you said 'bring them all home'."
