Chapter 9 - The Shield of Maple Street
The collision shook the entire building. Brick dust and plaster rained down like white snow as the front hood of the van wedged itself into the broken entryway, its tires spinning wildly against the slick pavement.
The lead shooter leaped onto the hood of the van, raising his rifle to clear a path into the diner.
Before he could pull the trigger, Anna swung the heavy iron skillet with every ounce of strength in her body.
CRACK!
The heavy cast iron smashed directly into the shooter’s helmeted face, knocking him flat on his back off the hood. He hit the pavement cold.
At that exact moment, the screech of burning rubber echoed down Maple Street.
Two black Rossi SUVs roared around the corner, slamming into the side of the attacker's delivery van with explosive force, pinning it against the street lamp and cutting off any escape.
Matteo Rossi stepped out of the lead SUV before it had even fully stopped. His face was a mask of sheer, unadulterated fury. Behind him, eight heavily armed men spilled onto the street, surrounding the pinned van in seconds.
The remaining attackers dropped their weapons, throwing their hands into the air as Matteo’s men dragged them out onto the pavement and forced them onto their knees.
Matteo didn't even look at the captured men. He sprinted through the shattered brick entrance of the diner, his eyes wild with terror.
"Mother! Anna!" Matteo shouted, stepping over the debris.
Marco pushed the heavy wooden booth table aside and helped Nonna Maria to her feet. She was trembling, but entirely unhurt.
"I am fine, Matteo," Nonna Maria said in Italian, her voice steady despite the horror. "Marco protected me."
Matteo hugged his mother tightly, letting out a ragged sigh of relief. Then, he turned his gaze toward Anna, who was standing amidst the shattered glass, still holding the dented iron skillet, her apron covered in brick dust.
Matteo walked over to her. He looked at the shattered window, the pinned van outside, the knocked-out shooter on the pavement, and then at the iron skillet in her hand.
"You fought them off with a frying pan?" Matteo asked, his gray eyes wide with disbelief and profound respect.
Anna looked down at the skillet, then let it drop to the floor with a heavy thud. "Nobody wrecks my diner," she panted, catching her breath. "And nobody hurts Nonna Maria while I'm on shift."
May you like
Matteo stared at her for a long second. Then, in front of his men, his mother, and the entire room of recovering customers, the most feared man in the city took a step back, bowed his head deeply, and placed his hand over his heart.
"You are no longer just a friend to our family, Anna Bennett," Matteo said, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "You are a Rossi."
