Chapter 16
The siege lasted for three agonizing hours. Inside the safe room, the air grew thick and heavy. Rachel sat beside Gabriel on the cold floor, keeping pressure on his wound, while Lily slept fitfully in the corner, exhausted by the terror.
Gabriel’s face was pale, his dark eyes glassy with pain, but his grip on Rachel’s hand remained iron-clad. "Bruno has the external codes," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "If he doesn't open the door by dawn, it means the estate has fallen. You use the subterranean tunnel. It leads to the river. There’s a boat waiting."
"I am not leaving you," Rachel repeated, her voice cracking.
"You have to," Gabriel insisted, his gaze piercing through her. "You have to protect Lily."
"We are all walking out of here," Rachel said fiercely, leaning closer. "You promised me, Gabriel. You promised me you would protect us."
Gabriel closed his eyes, a shallow breath rattling in his chest. "I’m trying."
Suddenly, the heavy steel door shuddered. A loud, mechanical clank echoed in the small room, and the door began to slide open.
Rachel grabbed Gabriel’s discarded sidearm, aiming it directly at the opening, her hands shaking violently.
Bruno stood in the doorway, his black suit torn, his face smeared with soot and blood. He looked down at Gabriel, then back at Rachel, lowering his own weapon.
"Perimeter is secure, Boss," Bruno announced, his deep voice carrying a note of profound exhaustion. "The mercenaries are dead. We rounded up the stragglers. The Bellinis are finished."
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Rachel dropped the gun, a sob of pure relief escaping her lips. She collapsed against Gabriel’s chest, burying her face in his uninjured shoulder.
Gabriel wrapped his good arm around her, burying his face in her dark hair. "Call the doctor," Gabriel ordered Bruno, his voice gaining a fraction of its usual authority. "And tell the cleaners to start scrubbing the floors. I want this house perfect when my daughter wakes up."
