Chapter 16 - THE TRAP SPRUNG
Before Marco’s men could execute the order, Vance’s expression twisted into a look of desperate, wild madness. He realized that if he left this estate tonight, he would be hunted down by every loyalist in the Falcone network before sunrise.
"Kill them!" Vance screamed, dropping his cigar onto the polished floor and lunging backward toward the cover of the heavy oak front doors. "Kill them all! Take the child!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire erupted inside the grand foyer with deafening fury, the sharp reports echoing off the high marble walls like cracks of thunder. muzzle flashes illuminated the darkness, shattering two of the massive crystal wall sconces and sending glittering glass raining down onto the floorboards.
Dante didn't flinch. The microsecond Vance issued the order, Dante swung his broad body around, shielding Sophia entirely with his broad back, ducking low against the heavy mahogany balustrade of the grand staircase.
He wrapped both of his broad arms around the small child, covering her tiny head with his broad, tattoo-covered hand, pressing her body securely against his chest so she couldn't see the violence unfolding behind them.
"Hold on to me, Sophia!" Dante shouted over the deafening roar of the firefight.
Sophia tucked her face tightly into the nook of his neck, squeezing her eyes shut, her small hands gripping his jacket lapels with all her strength. She held her battered stuffed rabbit pinned between their chests, trusting him with her entire life.
Above them on the mezzanine balcony, Marco and the house guards returned fire with lethal, disciplined precision. Three of Vance’s enforcers were instantly brought down on the marble floor, their weapons clattering away across the tile. The remaining three traitors retreated frantically toward the entrance, firing blind bursts into the ceiling to cover their retreat.
Vance didn't run for the front gates. In his blind desperation to secure the ledger and the child, he sprinted down the side corridor leading toward the estate’s private residential wing—the very hallway that led to the hidden study.
Dante saw him move.
His gray eyes ignited with a cold, terrifying fury. He stood up from behind the balustrade, his tall frame unharmed, his suit unblemished by the flying glass.
He looked down at Sophia. The little girl opened her eyes, peering up at him through her brown hair, breathing quickly but completely uninjured.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Dante asked, his voice instantly dropping its harsh edge, filled with tender concern.
Sophia nodded rapidly, her small chin trembling slightly, but her eyes remained brave. "I... I held on tight like you said, Mr. Dante."
"You did perfect, little one," Dante whispered, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead—a rare, gentle gesture he had never offered another human being in his adult life.
He handed her gently to Rosa, who had run out from the dining room holding a heavy Kevlar vest. "Take her upstairs to the safe room, Rosa. Lock the steel door from the inside. Do not open it for anyone except me."
"Yes, Mr. Falcone!" Rosa cried, taking the child into her arms and rushing up the stairs toward the secure residential suite.
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Dante turned back toward the dark corridor where Vance had fled. He reached inside his vest, unholstering his custom heavy silver pistol, racking the slide with a sharp, lethal clack.
"Marco," Dante growled, stepping into the dark hallway. "Cover the perimeter. Vance is mine."
