Chapter 4 - The Breach
Evelyn parted the living room blinds. Seeing the shadowy outline of the SUV, all color drained from her skin. The brass lamp slipped from her fingers and hit the carpet with a dull thud.
“Clara said... she said they were just debt collectors,” Evelyn choked out, sinking to her knees. “She told me we were safe here.”
“Nowhere is safe once Dominic sniffs money,” Julian replied calmly, checking the chamber of his concealed handgun. “Grab Lily’s essentials. One bag. We leave through the storm cellar in three minutes.”
Before Evelyn could move, the heavy front window exploded in a shower of glittering shards.
A flashbang canister bounced across the hardwood floor, hissing white smoke. Julian reacted purely on muscle memory. He lunged across the rug, sweeping Lily beneath his broad frame just as the deafening concussive blast detonated.
The world went white. High-pitched ringing filled Julian's ears, but his body remained an iron shield over the trembling little girl. Through the smoke, heavy combat boots kicked open the front door. Two masked men leveled submachine guns, sweeping the room.
“Check the bedrooms! Find the kid!” a gruff voice barked.
Julian didn't hesitate. Rising from the floor like an apparition, he closed the distance on the first gunman before the man could pivot his weapon. Julian grabbed the barrel, forcing it toward the ceiling, while driving a crushing palm strike into the man’s throat. The gunman collapsed, gasping for air.
Julian stripped the sidearm from the downed man’s holster and fired two double-taps through the billowing smoke. The second intruder went down with a heavy thud against the bookshelf.
Julian spun around. Evelyn was curled against the kitchen counter, hyperventilating. Lily was staring at him, her eyes wide, tears finally spilling down her rosy cheeks. She wasn’t screaming; she was trembling with silent, primal shock.
Julian knelt in front of her, his suit coated in plaster and shattered glass. He gently smoothed back the damp bangs sticking to her forehead.
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“Look at me, Lily,” he murmured softly. “Only look at me. You’re safe. I promise you, nobody hurts you while I breathe.”
Lily swallowed hard, burying her small face into the collar of his coat. Julian scooped her up in his left arm, pulled Evelyn up by her sleeve with his right, and led them down into the cellar.
