Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Dominic

T he first window shattered with the explosive fury of betrayal. Glass rained down like diamond shards as figures clad in black poured through the breach, their guns spitting fire and death. My instincts surged to life, my body reacting with honed agility as bullets whizzed by.

Chaos erupted, a tempest of motion and violence. I ducked and returned fire at Nikolai's men.

My gaze swept the room, heart pounding against my rib cage as I located Alexa still bound to a chair, eyes wide with fear.

"Alexa," I breathed, crossing the space between us in swift strides. My deft fingers worked quickly, unraveling the ropes that held her captive and they fell away.

"Go to the SUV outside and lock the doors. If you see anyone but me come out of these doors, you take the SUV and get far away. Stay there until I come for you. Understand?"

Alexa nodded, her lips parting to whisper a wordless thank you that resonated in the charged air. With a final glance that melded gratitude and concern, she fled.

Drawing a deep breath, I turned back toward the fray, the weight of my love for Alexa anchoring me to the perilous present. I couldn't fail—not when so much hinged upon my shoulders .

The house became a battlefield. Gunfire echoed through the halls, a macabre dance of death played out in flashes of muzzle light.

Movements were a blur, a dance with the devil as I navigated through the destruction, each step calculated, each decision a matter of life or demise. Bullets whizzed past, embedding themselves into walls.

I was the storm incarnate, fury and focus entwined within every fiber of my being. The thud of bodies hitting the floor punctuated my advance.

I stood still for a heartbeat, my chest heaving from exertion as my gaze swept over the fallen bodies of my enemies. Each lay motionless, a testament to my deadly precision in the face of chaos.

I stepped over a lifeless form, the once-looming threat now extinguished by my hand. A gun dangled loosely from my fingers, its barrel still warm. The shadows clung to me, draping over my broad shoulders like a cloak. In the suffocating quiet, the staccato rhythm of my heart was the only sound that dared pierce the aftermath.

My path was a trail marked by destruction, the marble floor stained dark red, spreading before my eyes. My jaw set in grim satisfaction; these men had sought to dismantle everything I held dear, but they had underestimated the ferocity of a Gambino cornered. I had been forged in the fires of this merciless world, and within these walls, I was the judge and executioner.

But the victory was hollow, the bitter taste of ash on my tongue, as a more pressing dread clawed at my insides.

"Have you seen my father?" I asked Marco.

He shook his head. "I'm looking for him."

The sight that greeted me wrenched at my ironclad composure. There, amid the opulence of leather and mahogany, lay the patriarch of the Gambino legacy, a once indomitable force now reduced to a pale shadow. Blood blossomed around him like a gruesome flower, seeping into the fabric of the couch that had been witness to countless decisions that shaped our empire.

"Father," I breathed. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths, the crimson tide flowing unabated from the wound in his side.

Kneeling beside the couch, my hands became instruments of salvation, applying pressure to the gaping injury as I summoned the cold, detached part of myself—the part that could function in the face of calamity. "Hold on," I commanded, the authority in my tone not allowing for any other outcome. "I'll get help."

His eyes, mirroring my own in color and intensity, found mine. They held a silent conversation, one of strength and resilience passed down through bloodlines marred by power and survival. An unspoken understanding passed between us, a nod to the legacy that would not end here, not like this.

With my free hand, I reached for my phone, fingers moving with a speed borne of desperation. Every second counted, and I knew the precarious line between life and death all too well. As I barked orders for an ambulance, my mind raced, plotting the next move, preparing for what was to come.

Around me, the house bore scars, but none as deep as the ones being carved into my soul at that moment.

My grip tightened around my father's hand, the unyielding strength that once defined the elder Gambino now reduced to a fragile hold. The sight of the man who had been an immovable pillar, a relentless force in the world of shadows and blood oaths, lying broken, was a contradiction too stark against the backdrop of my reality.

"Focus on me, Dad," I urged, though my voice trembled, betraying the storm of emotions brewing within me. My mind, a fortress honed by years of discipline, threatened to crumble under the weight of imminent loss. I could handle the recoil of a gun, the cutthroat decisions of life and death—but watching my father's life ebb away was an enemy I hadn't been trained to fight.

The air was thick with the iron tang of blood and gunpowder, a testament to the violence that had spilled. But as his breaths grew shallower, the clamor of battle receded, leaving a haunting silence between the beats of my heart.

"Son," my father gasped, each word a laborious effort. His eyes, dimming yet defiant, locked on mine. "You've always… been my greatest… achievement."

My jaw clenched. Pride and sorrow clashed within me, a tumultuous sea roaring against the dam of my composure. My father had never been one for sentimentality; his affection came in the form of stern lessons and high expectations. Yet here, in the dwindling light of life, the barriers fell away, revealing the bedrock of the bond.

"Your path… it will be… different from mine," he continued, fighting through the pain. "Lead with your head… but don't ignore your heart."

These words, a rare glimpse into the soul of a man more accustomed to commandments than counsel, struck me with the force of a revelation. It was the inheritance of a legacy not just of power, but of wisdom—a guiding light amid the encroaching darkness.

"Make me proud… Make them remember… the Gambinos." His voice faded, a whisper among shadows.

I nodded, the promise etched into my being. "I will." His grip slackened, a final surrender to the inevitable.

As the patriarch's chest stilled, I remained anchored by his side, the swell of grief rising like a tide, threatening to erode the walls I'd built around my heart. But in this moment of profound loss, I embraced the pain, for it was the proof of the love and respect.

Time seemed to slow as death's hush spread through the room, and with it, a silence so profound that I could hear the ghosts of past conversations echoing off the walls. I sat motionless.

My jaw clenched tight, a formidable dam against the surge of emotions that threatened to spill forth. The air around me grew dense, laden with the weight of a thousand unspoken words and the gravity of a single undeniable truth: I was alone. The mantle of leadership, heavy with expectation and bloodshed, was mine to bear now.

My eyes, once sharp as daggers, blurred as grief washed over me, staining my stoic facade. In this private sanctum, away from prying eyes, I allowed myself the luxury of vulnerability. A single tear trailed down my cheek, carving a path through the grime and sweat of battle—a silent testament to the man who had shaped me, both in darkness and in strength.

The world outside beckoned, its chaos impatient for my command, but within these walls, time stood still. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his, a vow passing. "You will be remembered."

Rising slowly, I squared my shoulders, my father's counsel echoing in my mind. Lead with your head, but don't ignore your heart . I looked upon the man who had ruled with an iron fist, recognizing the cost of power, the sacrifices etched into the lines of his face.

I turned away from the couch, gaze sweeping over the remnants of battle, the corpses of enemies mingling with shattered glass and splintered wood.

I understood the enormity of the inheritance. I would lead not just with ruthless calculation, but with the unyielding resolve to protect those bound to me by blood and loyalty. The challenges ahead loomed large, but I was no stranger to darkness.