Chapter 7 - The Price of Loyalty
Before Thomas or any of the rogue guards could react to Marcus’s scream, the lights in the dining room plunged into absolute darkness.
Gunfire erupted instantly, the muzzle flashes illuminating the room in chaotic, strobe-like bursts. I threw myself out of the chair and onto the floor, rolling beneath the heavy mahogany table just as a hail of bullets shattered the crystal chandelier above, sending a rain of sharp glass cascading down around us.
"Bianca!" Roman’s voice cut through the noise, fierce and desperate.
"I’m under the table!" I shouted back, crawling on my hands and knees, protecting my stomach with one arm while keeping the derringer raised with the other.
A body slammed heavily into the floor next to me. In the dim light filtering from the windows, I saw Thomas. He was bleeding from a wound in his shoulder, but he was still alive, and his eyes locked onto me. He raised his gun, aiming directly at my belly.
"You ruined everything," he hissed.
I didn't hesitate. I pressed the derringer against his ribs and pulled the trigger for the second time. The small weapon barked, and Thomas collapsed backward, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as the life drained out of him. My hands shook violently as I dropped the empty gun. I had never killed anyone before. I was a restaurateur, a girl who dealt with difficult chefs and late deliveries, not a executioner. But looking at his lifeless body, I felt no regret. Only a fierce, primal satisfaction. He had tried to kill my child.
The lights flickered back on, buzzing with static electricity.
The room was a scene of utter devastation. Matteo and Roman’s loyal guards stood over the remaining rogue soldiers, who had been completely disarmed. Don Carmine and the other family bosses sat frozen in their seats, their hands raised in surrender. They were businessmen; they knew when a coup had failed.
Roman stood in the center of the room, his jacket torn, a superficial cut bleeding down his temple, but his expression was that of a conquering god. He looked at Marcus Vane, who was kneeling on the floor, weeping and clutching his shattered hand.
Roman walked over to the table and flipped it over with a surge of adrenaline-fueled strength, exposing me where I lay on the floor. He dropped to his knees, checking me over with frantic hands. "Are you hit? Are you bleeding?"
"I’m okay," I gasped, holding my stomach. "The baby... I think she’s okay. She’s quiet, but she’s okay."
Roman helped me stand, pulling me into his arms before turning around to face the remaining bosses.
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"The vote of no confidence is canceled," Don Carmine said quickly, raising his hands. "The Kane syndicate belongs to you, Roman. And to your daughter. We will honor the will."
"You will honor it because if you don't, I will wipe your families off the map," Roman said, his voice deadly quiet. He looked down at Marcus. "Matteo, take my uncle out to the courtyard. And bring my mother out of the guest cottage. It’s time they both face the consequences of their treason."
