Chapter 6 - The Viper's Strike
The peace within the mansion shattered three days later.
Enzo had been tense all morning, taking endless phone calls behind the closed doors of his study.
The rival family, the Morettis, were making aggressive moves on Valenti territory.
They were the ones who had orchestrated the hit on Leo at the restaurant.
And they were angry that they had failed.
"We need to move you and Leo to the safehouse in the mountains," Enzo announced at lunch.
His face was grim, and his suit jacket was unbuttoned, revealing his shoulder holster.
"Is it that bad?" I asked, my appetite completely vanishing.
"The Morettis are getting desperate, which makes them sloppy and unpredictable," Enzo explained.
"I want my two most precious assets out of the crossfire."
I nodded, instantly rushing upstairs to pack a small bag for myself and Leo.
Within an hour, we were loaded into the back of a heavily armored SUV.
Marco was driving, and Dante rode shotgun, heavily armed and hyper-vigilant.
Enzo kissed me hard through the open window before we pulled away.
"I will join you tonight," Enzo promised, his eyes dark with worry.
"Keep him safe, Clara."
"I will," I swore, holding Leo tightly against my side.
The drive out of the city was tense but uneventful.
We hit the winding mountain roads just as the sun began to set behind the peaks.
Leo fell asleep with his head on my lap, holding his dinosaur tightly.
I stared out the reinforced window, watching the shadows stretch across the pine trees.
Suddenly, a massive black truck pulled out from a hidden dirt road.
It slammed violently into the side of our SUV.
The impact was deafening, a horrible crunch of metal and shattering safety glass.
Our heavy vehicle skidded across the wet asphalt, spinning wildly before slamming into the guardrail.
I threw my entire body over Leo, curling around him just like I had done at the restaurant.
My healing back screamed in agony as the seatbelt locked tightly against my chest.
"Ambush!" Marco yelled, pulling a submachine gun from under his seat.
Gunfire erupted outside, heavy caliber bullets pinging off our armored doors.
"Get down and stay down!" Dante ordered, kicking his door open and returning fire.
Leo woke up screaming, terrified by the deafening noise.
"Shh, baby, I've got you," I cried, pressing his face into my stomach.
The Moretti hitmen were closing in, their shouts echoing in the cold mountain air.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that Enzo's men could hold them off.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the road behind us.
I peeked through the cracked window and saw the enemy truck burst into flames.
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A sleek black sports car roared onto the scene, followed by two more Valenti SUVs.
Enzo had arrived.
