Page 85 of Mafia Kingdom

I turn to the monitors, watching as the first vehicles reach the gate. For a moment, there's an odd stillness—the calm before the inevitable storm. Then the night erupts in gunfire and shouted commands, the peaceful estate transforming instantly into a battlefield.

"Is this really happening?" Karen asks, her voice faint with disbelief. "Are we actually in the middle of a gang war?"

"Yes," I answer simply, eyes fixed on the screens where men—Marco's men—are fighting and dying to protect us. "We are."

Lily comes to stand beside me, slipping her small hand into mine. "Is Marco going to be okay?" she asks, her question striking directly at my deepest fear.

I squeeze her hand, forcing confidence I don't entirely feel into my voice. "Marco is very good at his job, Lily. And his job right now is making sure we're all safe."

She nods, accepting this assessment with the simple faith of childhood. "I like him," she confides, as if sharing an important secret. "He doesn't talk to me like I'm stupid, and he makes you smile."

The observation catches me off guard, bringing a lump to my throat. "Yes," I manage. "He does make me smile."

Karen watches this exchange with visible concern but holds her peace, understanding that now isn't the time for lectures about my choice in men.

I take Lily by the hand away from the monitors and onto a cot. “Can you do me a favor?” I ask.

“Take care of Buddy; he’s a bit afraid.”

Lily sinks her hand into Buddy’s fur and nods.

I get back to the monitors. I search desperately for Marco himself among the figures moving across the screens, but I can't locate him.

The direct line to the command center crackles to life suddenly: "Sasha, can you hear me?" Marco's voice, tense but controlled.

I rush to the communication panel, pressing the response button. "I'm here. We're all safe."

"Good. The situation is developing rapidly. The O'Reillys have breached the perimeter, but we're holding them at theinner courtyard. Damien's reinforcements are en route but won't arrive for at least fifteen minutes."

"Where are you?" I ask, needing to know he's still safe, still alive.

"Command center, coordinating our response," he answers. "Don't worry about me. Just—"

His transmission cuts off abruptly, replaced by static. At the same moment, several of the security monitors go dark, including the ones showing the command center.

"Marco?" I call, pressing the communication button repeatedly. "Marco, can you hear me?"

Nothing but static answers. A cold dread settles in my stomach as I turn back to the remaining monitors. The few still functioning show increasingly desperate fighting, Marco's men being pushed back toward the main house.

"What's happening?" Lily asks, her earlier calm giving way to fear as she senses my growing panic.

"I'm not sure," I admit, unwilling to lie even as I try to keep my voice steady. "Just stay with Buddy."

Karen joins us at the monitors. “Can they break in here?" she asks quietly, nodding toward the sealed door.

"No," I say with more confidence than I feel. "Tony said this room is completely secure. We're safe."

But safe for how long? And what about Marco? If the O'Reillys have taken out the command center, if the security system is failing... I force the thought away, refusing to contemplate the worst.

Minutes stretch into an eternity of uncertainty. Occasionally, we catch glimpses of the ongoing battle on the few functioning monitors, but the overall situation remains frustratingly unclear.

Lily eventually falls asleep on one of the cots, emotional exhaustion claiming her despite the chaos. Buddy curlsprotectively beside her, maintaining his vigil even in this supposed safe haven. Karen sits nearby, her hand resting gently on Lily's shoulder, her expression a mixture of fear, anger, and resignation.

I remain at the monitors, scanning the fragmentary feeds for any sign of Marco, any indication of how the battle is progressing. My mind races with questions and fears I can't voice aloud, not with Lily potentially overhearing.

What if Marco is already dead? What if the O'Reillys breach the panic room? What if this reinforced box becomes not our salvation but our tomb?

"You really love him, don't you?" Karen's quiet question breaks the heavy silence.

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