Chapter 4 - The Uninvited Shadow
Dominic shoved Elena behind Marcus with his left forearm and raised his pistol toward the wooden door of the dumbwaiter. The mechanical pulley groaned as the wooden box descended from the second-floor nursery. The cables shrieked in protest, settling into place with a hollow thud.
"Step back, boss," Marcus cautioned, finger resting on the trigger of his submachine gun.
Dominic didn't step back. With one hand protecting the sleeping twins nestled against his ribs, he kicked the dumbwaiter door open.
Inside lay Clara.
The older woman was bound with zip-ties around her wrists and ankles, a strip of duct tape across her mouth. Her eyes were wide with sheer terror, tears streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. She was alive, but barely. Taped to her chest was a black plastic box with a digital countdown timer glowing red: 02:14.
"Thermite charge," Marcus hissed, taking half a step backward. "If that burns through the floor, it’ll ignite the gas line directly below the kitchen."
"Don't run," Dominic commanded, his voice cold as ice. "Marcus, cut her ties. Elena, peel the tape off her mouth slowly. Do not shake her."
Elena swallowed hard, fighting the surge of bile rising in her throat. She stepped past the bodyguard, kneeling beside the shivering nurse. Her fingers trembled for a fraction of a second before steadying into the clinical discipline she had buried years ago. "Breathe through your nose, Clara," Elena whispered soothingly. "I’m going to remove the tape. Don’t scream."
With a quick, decisive pull, the tape came off. Clara gasped, coughing violently, her gaze darting toward Dominic with pure dread.
"Who put this on you?" Dominic demanded, his voice chillingly calm despite the timer ticking down: 01:45.
"He... he was wearing a service mask," Clara sobbed, saliva dripping from her chin. "He had a master key card. He forced the vial into the nursery fridge, but when I saw him, he grabbed me. He told me to tell you..."
"Tell me what?" Dominic leaned down, his eyes boring into hers.
"He said... the bloodline ends tonight, big brother."
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Dominic’s jaw clenched so hard a vein bulged against his temple. The timer hit 01:10.
"Julian," Dominic spat, the name tasting like ash.
