Chapter 9
"Stay close to me," Mason ordered, his deep voice slicing through the blaring noise of the sirens.
He didn't wait for an answer. He reached out, his warm, tattooed fingers wrapping securely around Lila's wrist. He pulled her away from the console table, ensuring Piper was tucked safely between them. They stepped away from the grand foyer and moved rapidly toward the reinforced corridors of the family wing.
The bright, luminous colors of the mansion were suddenly drowned out as the estate's lockdown protocols initiated. The golden chandeliers dimmed, replaced by the chaotic strobe of red emergency lights. The deafening, rhythmic staccato of heavy gunfire suddenly echoed from the eastern gates, vibrating through the marble floors. The smell of cordite and burning pine began to filter through the air vents.
Mason moved with absolute, predatory grace. He kept Lila and Piper tucked safely behind his broad shoulders, his weapon raised, his observant eyes sweeping every cream marble column and gilded wall panel for internal threats. They navigated the corridors, the sound of combat growing louder with every step.
As they reached the heavy oak doors separating the main house from the private residential wing, a massive explosion rocked the foundation of the estate.
The shockwave threw them against the carved walnut furniture lining the hall. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling. The heavy oak doors were blown entirely off their hinges in a blinding flash of orange fire.
"Are you injured?" Mason shouted over the ringing in their ears, pulling Lila back to her feet and shielding Piper with his body.
"We're okay!" Lila gasped, coughing through the thick smoke, her hands gripping Piper tightly while her other arm shielded her pregnancy bump.
Through the ruined doorway, the bright tactical lights of three heavily armed mercenaries pierced the darkness. They had bypassed the outer gates and breached the mansion, moving aggressively down the corridor, aiming their assault rifles directly at the private wing.
"Did you forget whose house you entered?" Mason asked the empty air.
He stepped out from cover. The roar of his weapon was deafening in the enclosed space. The first mercenary collapsed backward, his chest armor shattered by the armor-piercing rounds. The second man spun wildly, his weapon firing blindly into the ceiling before he hit the marble floor.
The third assassin panicked, scrambling toward the heavy mahogany doors to escape the absolute slaughter.
"Are you running so soon?" Mason asked, rising to his full height.
May you like
He aimed and fired a single, decisive shot. The third man crumpled in the doorway, his body wedging the heavy doors open.
The hallway fell into a terrifying, ringing silence.
