Part 9
Tomaso reacted in a split second.
He threw his body over Lucia, shielding her from the flying glass shards.
The weight of his heavy body pressed her into the floor.
"Stay down!" he roared over the sound of the alarms.
Gunfire erupted from the front courtyard.
The rapid pop-pop-pop of automatic weapons echoed through the stone hallways.
Tomaso pulled his weapon from his holster.
He grabbed Lucia by the arm, pulling her up with superhuman strength.
"The boys. We need to get to the boys."
They ran out of the study and sprinted up the stairs.
The villa was in chaos.
Guards were running past them, shouting orders in Italian.
When they burst into the twins' room, Matteo and Leo were crying, hiding under the bed.
Lucia dropped to her knees, pulling them out into her arms.
"I'm here, I'm here. You're safe."
Tomaso walked over to a bookshelf against the wall.
He pulled a hidden lever disguised as a book.
The massive wooden structure slid open, revealing a heavy steel door.
A panic room.
"Get inside," Tomaso ordered, his eyes scanning the hallway outside.
"What about you?" Lucia asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Despite everything, the thought of him dying out there made her chest tighten with terror.
Tomaso looked back at her.
He reached out and placed a quick, fierce kiss on her forehead.
"I have to go eliminate the garbage."
"Lock the door from the inside. Do not open it for anyone but me."
He pushed them inside the safe room and slammed the steel door shut.
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The heavy locks engaged automatically.
Inside, it was completely soundproof, leaving Lucia alone in the dark with her children and the terrifying realization that she still cared if he lived or died.
