Chapter 8
The private suite on the upper floor was a sanctuary of warm, soft light and thick, plush carpets. The contrast to the impending violence downstairs was stark. Dr. Evans, a trusted physician who had served the Bellacorte family for twenty years, gently packed his stethoscope into his leather bag.
Richard stepped into the room, moving quietly despite his imposing size. Silas stood guard by the door, offering a silent nod as the Don passed.
"How is she, Doctor?" Richard asked, his voice dropping to a gentle rumble.
"She is resilient, Don Richard," Dr. Evans replied in a hushed tone. "Mild frostnip on her toes, which I have treated. She is malnourished, but nothing permanent. The most damage is psychological. She has been severely neglected."
Richard’s jaw clenched, the muscles working beneath his stubble. "Will she be okay tonight?"
"I administered a mild, pediatric sedative to help her sleep through the... noise," Dr. Evans said diplomatically. "She needs rest above all else."
"Thank you, Doctor. Wait in the adjoining room until the estate is secure," Richard instructed.
He walked over to the massive, king-sized bed. Lily looked incredibly small, buried beneath the thick down comforters. She had been bathed, her rosy skin cleaned of dirt, and dressed in a set of warm, soft pajamas that belonged to the estate's emergency stores. Her breathing was steady, her face peaceful in the grip of the medication.
Richard carefully sat on the edge of the mattress. He reached out with his tattooed hand, gently brushing a lock of hair from her forehead.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to see, little bird," Richard whispered. "I thought your father would protect you. I was wrong."
Lily stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open halfway. The sedative made her gaze hazy, but she recognized the man sitting beside her.
"Grandpa?" she mumbled softly.
"I'm here, Lily," Richard said, offering her a warm, reassuring smile.
"Are the bad men gone?" she asked, her voice slurring slightly.
"Yes," Richard promised. "Mark and Claudia are gone. They will never hurt you again."
Lily closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, a sudden thought piercing through the medication. "Grandpa... the men on the phone. The ones Daddy talked to. They said they were coming to take your big house."
Richard froze. "What men, Lily?"
"The men from the cold city," she whispered, her eyes drifting shut again. "Daddy told them the back gate by the trees was broken. He said to come that way so you wouldn't see them."
The back gate. The service entrance hidden by the dense, snow-covered pine forest. It wasn't heavily fortified because it was supposed to be electronically sealed from the inside. If Mark had disabled the lock, the Chicago outfit wouldn't come up the main driveway; they would flank the estate.
Richard leaned down and kissed her warm forehead. "Sleep now, Lily. Grandpa is going to take care of it."
He stood up, his eyes hardening into flint. He strode out of the room, pulling his encrypted radio from his belt.
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"Silas, stay with her," Richard ordered the guard. He pressed the button on the radio. "All units. Abandon the main foyer. They are not coming through the front. Shift all heavy defenses to the north tree line. The service gate is compromised. Move!"
The war had shifted, and they had exactly ten minutes to reposition before the wolves breached the perimeter.
