Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

“Vittorio wouldn’t be happy with you,” Sasha said. “Lord only knows what he’d do if he saw you do that.” She and Francesca exchanged a knowing look and then burst out laughing.

“I’m not sure I want to know.” Suspicion edged her voice, but there was excitement, too. She couldn’t help it. Vittorio was a very sexual man. He’d said there weren’t punishments like she’d read about in books, but she knew there would be something he would do if he wasn’t happy and for some insane reason, the thought excited her.

A light flared bright red through the room. At once the smiles faded from their faces. Sasha was up immediately and pulled weapons from under the bed. “It’s all right, Francesca, Stefano said to expect this, remember? We’re good.” Her voice had gone from laughter and fun to businesslike. “Grace, we need to stay in this room. The panic room is right behind Francesca’s bed. I’ll need you to help me get her into it, if the alarm is given a second time. Vittorio wants you in the panic room with Francesca if it comes to that.”

“What about you?” Grace asked. She tried to keep her heart from accelerating. It was impossible, but she breathed deeply in order to stay calm. Like Sasha, it suddenly was important to her to take care of Francesca.

“I’ll be on the inside with the two of you.”

“Coming in,” a man’s voice called out.

Sasha pointed the shotgun toward the door. “Get behind me.”

Grace didn’t argue. She had just moved to the bed to sit beside Francesca when the door swung open and a man in a suit stepped through, followed by another. The two men looked grim, but somehow reassuring.

“That’s Drago and Demetrio Palagonia,” Francesca whispered to Grace. “Brothers. Related to Stefano. Emilio trained them, so you know they’re very good.” Her face had gone pale.

Grace didn’t know about Emilio or his training, but if Francesca and Sasha were so convinced, she was willing to be, as long as Haydon wasn’t slipping through the duct system.

“No one has breached our security, ladies,” Demetrio said. “This is just a precaution.” He looked directly at Grace. “It is an impossibility for anyone to crawl through the ventilation system. If they were to find a way to do so, they would trigger any number of alarms. Most likely, they would be deceased before we could get to them.”

He didn’t elaborate on how the intruder would become deceased, and Grace didn’t ask. She couldn’t help but look around the master suite, noting each vent and the proximity to the bed. She felt very protective over Francesca, especially knowing she was pregnant and already having difficulties.

Francesca hadn’t taken her gaze from Demetrio’s face. “If this is a precaution, nothing more, then why did the alarm go off?”* * *

Vittorio was up out of his chair and off to the side of the door, ready to block it once the Saldi men were through so that Emme, Giovanni and Stefano were safe. He hadn’t liked the look that passed between Angelo and Tommaso. Dario had seemed intent on staring Taviano down, but then everyone knew Dario had a thing for Nicoletta and Taviano’s announcement of his “understanding” with Nicoletta had been met with hostility.

Valentino went through the door first, signaling to his father’s bodyguards. He stepped aside and waved Giuseppi through. The man stepped into the wide hallway that opened directly into the lobby with confidence, still shaking his head, annoyed with his brother. Vittorio saw a shadow move high up on the second floor and alarms went off in his head. He glimpsed several people leaning out over the bannister to point at the chandeliers. A few moved up the circular stairway.

The stairway had been built very reminiscent of eras gone by. The Ferraro Hotels were known for luxury appointments, but also the mixture of elegance and modern technology. One man stood in the corner to the right of the stairs where he had a perfect view of the entrance to the conference room. He was lifting his arm and pointing an object toward the door and Giuseppi.

Without thinking, Vittorio shoved Miceli back into the room and dove for Giuseppi, calling out a warning to Valentino as he did so. Vittorio was a big man and enormously strong. He hit the older man hard, driving him to the floor and rolling toward Emilio. Shots rang out, but Emilio’s knee dug into his back as his cousin covered both men. Enzo had taken down Val a second after Vittorio hit Giuseppi.

Screams broke out in the lobby. Bodyguards on both sides first pointed weapons at one another and then up toward the stairs.

“Don’t fire!” Stefano yelled. “Too many people!”

The shooter grabbed a woman as she ran past him, trying to shoo her teenage son out of the way. The boy ran back down the staircase a few stairs and then crouched low, still in harm’s way. Emilio eased his knee out of Vittorio’s back and then helped him up. Vittorio gently aided Giuseppi. Vittorio’s momentum had taken them down the wide hallway and away from the lobby. He peered through the archway into the lobby and up the stairs.