Chapter 5 - the strike in the dark
The sub-level corridor beneath the main mansion was constructed of cold, reinforced concrete and stone. The air was damp, smelling of old mortar and iron pipes.
Two heavy-set security guards walked alongside Megan down the fluorescent-lit hallway toward the staff locker room, while Sadie rode comfortably on the shoulders of the lead guard, giggling softly as she held her green crayon like a tiny flag.
Megan’s heart pounded violently against her ribs. The small brass key, the photograph, her mother's mysterious past—it felt as though her quiet, simple life was disintegrating into a storm of dangerous Mafia feuds.
They reached the staff locker room. The heavy steel door stood slightly ajar.
"Wait here, Mrs. Cole," the lead guard instructed, his hand resting on his holstered sidearm as he pushed the door open with his boot.
The room was quiet. Rows of gray metal lockers lined the green linoleum floor.
Megan walked over to locker number 14, her fingers trembling violently as she entered the combination code on the padlock. Click.
She opened the thin metal door. Sitting on the top shelf beneath her spare maid aprons was a dusty, carved wooden box bound with copper strips.
"I have it," Megan breathed out, reaching up to grab the box.
CRASH!
A sharp, violent impact shattered the light fixture above the doorway, plunging the locker room into sudden, murky darkness.
Before the two guards could draw their weapons, two shadowy figures dressed in black tactical gear burst through the emergency exit. A heavy iron bar struck the first guard, sending him crashing to the floor, while the second guard was tackled against the lockers.
"Mommy!" Sadie screamed from the corner where she had been set down.
Megan didn't think. She didn't hesitate. She grabbed the wooden box in one arm, lunged across the dark room, and threw her body completely over Sadie, shielding her daughter with her own frame as iron bars and heavy boots slammed against the concrete walls.
"Get the box!" a harsh, unfamiliar voice barked in the darkness.
A heavy hand grabbed Megan's shoulder, violently trying to rip the carved wooden box from her grip. Megan fought back with maternal fury, biting the man's hand and swinging her elbow wildly into his ribs.
"Get off my daughter!" Megan shrieked, her voice echoing down the concrete corridor.
Suddenly, a blinding beam of light cut through the dark.
Roman Vale burst into the locker room like a tidal wave of pure vengeance. His ivory suit jacket was gone, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck, his tattooed arms bare as he held a heavy tactical flashlight in one hand and his sidearm in the other.
Without a second's delay, Roman slammed the flashlight frame into the attacker's face, dropping the man instantly. He grabbed the second assailant by the tactical vest, throwing him with incredible force straight into the steel lockers with a deafening metallic bang.
In less than ten seconds, the threat was neutralized.
Roman dropped to his knees beside Megan and Sadie. His breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling as his dark eyes swept over the young mother.
"Are you hurt?" Roman demanded, his voice laced with raw, terrified concern. He reached out, his large hands carefully framing Megan's face, searching for any sign of injury. "Megan, look at me. Are you alright?"
"I'm... I'm okay," Megan sobbed, clinging tightly to the wooden box against her chest. "Sadie... is Sadie okay?"
Roman looked down. Sadie was sitting beneath Megan's protective arm, blinking up at Roman in the flashlights' beam. She held up her green crayon, which had snapped in half during the scuffle.
"He broke my crayon, sir," Sadie said softly.
May you like
Roman let out a ragged, emotional breath. A sudden, intense wave of affection washed over him. He reached down, lifting both mother and child into his massive, strong arms, pulling them tight against his chest.
"I've got you," Roman promised, his deep voice shaking with emotion as he held them close in the dark room. "I've got you both. No one will ever touch you again."
