Chapter 10
The subterranean bunker of the Bellucci estate was a masterpiece of survival engineering, bathed in stark, bright white lights. Carmine placed Leo gently onto the plush sofa in the center of the secure room. The little boy clutched his blanket, looking around the windowless room with wide, curious eyes.
"Daddy, why are we in the basement?" Leo asked, his tiny American accent echoing slightly against the concrete walls.
Carmine knelt down, his dark, tailored suit contrasting with the bright, cinematic lighting of the bunker. He smiled warmly, brushing a strand of fair hair from his son's forehead.
"Daddy has to go to work for a little while, Leo," Carmine said softly, his voice full of protective love. "Maria is going to stay here with you and read you some stories. I need you to be very brave for me, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy," Leo nodded, trusting his father completely.
Carmine stood up, looking at the thirty-year-old maid. "Lock the vault door behind me. Do not open it."
"I won't let anyone touch him, Mr. Bellucci," Maria promised fiercely.
Carmine nodded once. He turned and walked out of the bunker. The massive, heavy steel vault door ground shut behind him, locking with a series of loud, definitive mechanical clanks. His son was safe. His only vulnerability was sealed away.
Carmine ascended the hidden staircase, stepping back into the silent, sprawling mansion. The twilight outside had deepened into full darkness. He walked through the empty, brightly lit corridors, heading toward the grand foyer.
Vincent and ten of his most elite, heavily armed bodyguards were waiting for him in the vast entrance hall. The men were dressed in professional dark suits, their fair faces set in masks of grim determination. They held tactical rifles across their chests, ready for the slaughter.
"Status," Carmine commanded, his voice a lethal, vibrating hum.
"They breached the outer gates three minutes ago, Boss," Vincent reported, racking the slide of his weapon. "A convoy of six heavily armored vehicles. They are coming up the main driveway now. It looks like at least forty men."
Carmine did not blink. The deeply masculine, intimidating aura of the veteran Mafia boss expanded, filling the massive foyer. He reached into his shoulder holster and drew his customized firearm, the metallic click echoing loudly in the quiet room.
He walked slowly toward the massive, double front doors of the estate. He stopped just a few feet away from the heavy oak, waiting in the bright, flawless light of the chandelier.
Through the thick wood, the sound of screeching tires and shouting men grew rapidly louder. The enemy had arrived at his doorstep. They thought he was weak. They thought a man who coddled his child could be easily broken.
"Vincent," Carmine whispered, his cold, sharp eyes locking onto the center of the double doors as the first heavy, booming knock shattered the silence of the night.
"Boss?"
May you like
"When they breach the door," Carmine said, a dark, terrifying smile touching the corners of his mouth. "Kill them all."
The heavy doors shuddered violently under the assault, and Carmine Bellucci raised his weapon, ready to paint the pristine marble floors of his home with the blood of his enemies.
