Chapter 6 - The Blood on the Red Boots
(Word count: ~1500 words)
The main courtyard of the Moretti estate looked like a war zone.
Flashing red and white emergency lights reflected off the snow. Four armored SUVs were parked at jagged angles near the gates, their engines roaring.
Alessandro burst through the front entrance of the stable building, three steps at a time, his gun drawn, his face a terrifying mask of absolute rage.
Behind him ran Dr. Richard Hale, carrying two heavy emergency surgical bags.
When Alessandro reached the upper residential suite, he stopped dead in his tracks.
The apartment door was blown off its hinges. Two dead mercenaries lay covered in canvas sheets in the hallway.
Inside the living room, sitting on the blood-stained wooden floor, was Sophia, holding a sobbing Emma in her lap.
And lying motionless between them was Bruno, his black coat soaked with blood, a white towel pressed desperately against his shoulder wound by Marco.
"ALESSANDRO!" Emma shrieked when she saw him, her voice hoarse from crying. "Fix Bruno! Fix him!"
Alessandro dropped to his knees beside the child, ignoring the wet blood soaking through his expensive trousers. His hands shook violently as he checked the dog's pulse near his neck.
"Dr. Hale! NOW!" Alessandro roared.
Richard Hale dropped his bags beside Bruno, instantly pulling out sterile gloves, bandages, and an IV drip bag.
"He’s lost a massive amount of blood," Richard said frantically, shining a light into Bruno’s eyes. "The blade missed his main artery by half an inch, but his breathing is shallow! He’s going into shock!"
Emma reached out, grabbing Alessandro’s hand with her blood-stained fingers.
"He protected us," Emma sobbed, her tiny body shaking against Sophia’s chest. "Bad man had a knife... Bruno saved Mommy."
Alessandro looked at the little girl’s bright red boots—the new boots he had bought her only days ago—now covered in his dog’s blood.
A wave of cold, violent, terrifying fury washed over Alessandro Moretti—a fury so intense that even Marco stepped back three paces in fear.
Alessandro turned his gray eyes to Marco. "Falcone?"
"Our strike team in Cicero completely destroyed his primary warehouse, boss," Marco reported low. "Falcone wasn't there. He was hiding in an abandoned brewery on the west side, directing this hit personally."
Alessandro stood up slowly. He looked down at Sophia, who was holding Emma close, her eyes filled with tears, looking up at him with absolute trust and terror.
Alessandro reached down, gently touching Emma’s tear-stained face.
"He is going to live, Emma," Alessandro promised her, his voice low, steady, and deadly. "I give you my word."
He looked at Dr. Hale. "Move Bruno into my private study on the main floor. Use whatever medical equipment you need. If he dies, this entire city burns."
"I'll do everything I can, Alessandro," Richard promised, rapidly hooking up the blood transfusion line.
Alessandro turned toward the exit.
"Alessandro," Sophia called out, her voice stopping him at the doorway.
He looked back over his shoulder.
Sophia stood up, holding Emma in her arms. She walked over to him, her eyes shining with fierce, unspoken emotion.
"Bring yourself back," Sophia whispered softly. "Emma needs you."
Alessandro stared at her for a long second, his jaw clenching. He gave a single, firm nod, turned on his heel, and walked down the stairs into the freezing night.
Outside, Marco ran beside him toward his primary armored vehicle.
"Boss, how many men are we taking to the brewery?" Marco asked, pulling his weapon out.
Alessandro opened the driver’s door, his eyes turning into pure, unadulterated steel.
May you like
"All of them," Alessandro commanded, his voice echoing across the courtyard like a death sentence. "Bring every weapon we have. Gianni Falcone touched my family."
"By sunrise, he will not exist."
