Chapter 7 - The Hidden Heir
Antonio Rossi stepped into the light.
He was a tall man, heavily scarred, wearing a dark leather jacket soaked with rain.
He lifted Victoria an inch off the floor by her throat, her legs kicking desperately in the air.
"You talk too much, Victoria," Antonio growled.
He threw her to the floor like a rag doll. Victoria gasped for air, clutching her bruised neck.
Antonio looked down at Leo.
"Go back in the room, kid," Antonio ordered.
Leo shrank back, tears streaming down his face. He ran past Antonio and hid behind my legs in the closet.
I dropped to my knees, instinctively wrapping my arms around the trembling boy.
He buried his face in my apron, sobbing quietly.
Antonio stepped into the bedroom, pulling a heavy, silenced pistol from his jacket.
"So," Antonio said, pointing the gun at me. "The maid."
"Please," I begged, holding Leo tighter. "He's just a little boy."
"He's a Romano," Antonio spat. "And as long as he breathes, Dominic has an heir. That's bad for my business."
Victoria coughed, crawling toward Antonio's boots.
"Antonio, wait! We had a deal! You kill Dominic, I get the money, and I give you half!"
Antonio looked down at her with pure disgust.
"You honestly thought I would let a Romano brat inherit the city?" Antonio sneered. "I used you to get inside the gates. I'm going to kill Dominic, and I'm going to kill the kid. The Romano line ends tonight."
Victoria’s eyes widened in sheer terror. For the first time, she realized she had played a game she couldn't win.
"No!" Victoria screamed.
She grabbed Antonio's leg, trying to pull him down.
Antonio kicked her brutally in the ribs. She collapsed, groaning in pain.
He raised the gun, aiming directly at Leo's head.
"Close your eyes, kid," Antonio said.
I didn't think. I just reacted.
I grabbed the heavy wooden coat hanger from the closet rack and hurled it directly at Antonio's face.
The brass hook caught him right above the eye.
He cursed, stumbling backward, the gun going off with a muffled phut.
The bullet shattered the mirror behind me.
"Run, Leo!" I screamed, pushing the boy toward the door.
We sprinted down the third-floor hallway.
"Marco! Dominic!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Footsteps thundered up the grand staircase.
Dominic appeared at the landing, his own weapon drawn, with Marco right behind him.
"Sophie! Get down!" Dominic roared.
I tackled Leo to the thick carpet, covering his small body with mine.
Antonio rounded the corner, raising his weapon.
Dominic didn't hesitate.
Two shots rang out, deafening in the enclosed hallway.
Antonio Rossi fell backward, crashing through a wooden side table, dead before he hit the floor.
The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.
Dominic slowly lowered his gun.
He walked down the hallway, stepping over Antonio's body, and stopped right in front of us.
I slowly sat up, my arms still wrapped protectively around Leo.
Dominic dropped to his knees.
He looked at the little boy with dark hair and bright brown eyes.
The resemblance to Vincent was unmistakable.
Dominic’s hands trembled as he reached out.
"Leo?" Dominic whispered.
The little boy sniffled, clutching his stuffed bear.
"Are you my Uncle Dom?" Leo asked in a small, shaky voice.
Tears spilled over Dominic's eyelids.
"Yes," Dominic choked out. "Yes, I am."
He pulled the boy into a fierce, desperate hug, burying his face in Leo's dark hair.
As they embraced, Dominic looked up at me over the boy's shoulder.
"You saved his life," Dominic said, his voice breaking.
"He's a good boy," I whispered back.
But out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement.
Victoria had dragged herself out of the bedroom.
She wasn't looking at Dominic. She wasn't looking at her son.
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She was clutching the silver rosary in her hand, staring at the numbers engraved on the back.
"The vault," she muttered, a manic desperation in her eyes. "I just need to get to the vault."
