Chapter 9 - THE TIDE TURNS
I backed into the corner of the cabin, holding Leo behind my back, my pulse roaring like a hurricane in my ears.
"Don't touch him," I rasped, my eyes searching the dark cabin for anything I could use as a weapon.
Dominic chuckled—a dry, grating sound that made my skin crawl. "You think you have a choice, little girl? Six weeks ago, your sister died because she thought she could play games with me. Tonight, I take Luca's son, and tomorrow, I take his entire empire."
He took a step into the cabin, reaching out his thick, leather-gloved hand toward Leo.
"I said... DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I shrieked!
I grabbed a heavy bronze boat flare gun from the open emergency box on the wall beside me, aimed it directly at Dominic's chest, and pulled the trigger!
WHAM-EXPLOSION!
A blinding, thousand-degree white-hot magnesium flare erupted from the barrel, striking Dominic straight in the chest!
Dominic screamed in agony as his leather coat caught fire, the blinding magnesium light illuminating the dark boathouse in a terrifying, searing glare! He stumbled backward off the edge of the boat, crashing into the freezing dark waters of the river with a heavy splash!
Before his men on the catwalk above could react, the steel tunnel door behind them was blown off its hinges with a deafening CRASH!
Luca Moretti burst into the boathouse like an avenging demon.
His charcoal suit was torn, stained with soot and blood, his gray eyes burning with an unholy, terrifying rage. He fired four precision shots upward into the rafters, dropping Romano's remaining men into the water below before they could pull their triggers!
"LUCA!" I sobbed!
Luca leaped onto the boat, his boots hitting the deck, sweeping me and Leo into his powerful, trembling arms. He held us so tightly I could barely breathe, burying his face into the crook of my neck, his heart slamming wildly against my chest.
"I'm here... I've got you," Luca rasped, his voice breaking with sheer, unadulterated relief. "I'm here, my sweet Avery... I'm here."
Leo let out a happy, babbling gurgle, reaching out his small hand to grab his father's torn collar.
Gabe, who was clutching his shoulder on the dock, let out a weak, coughing laugh. "Remind me... never to get on Miss Vance's bad side..."
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Luca pulled back slightly, looking at me with a look of profound, breathtaking adoration. He reached out, his thumb gently wiping a spot of soot from my cheek, before pressing a deep, passionate kiss against my lips right there on the dark, swaying boat.
"It's over, Avery," Luca whispered against my lips as police and coast guard sirens began to wail in the distance across the water. "Romano's empire is gone. You and Leo are finally safe."
