“Get her out through the maternity wing tunnels.”

Carlo nodded instantly.

But Meline grabbed Dominic’s wrist.

He looked down.

“You’re not staying behind.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

For a moment, something fierce and tender crossed his face.

Then Seraphina laughed weakly from the doorway.

“God, you two are dramatic.”

Blood soaked through her sleeve.

Ethan moved toward her automatically.

“You’ve been shot.”

“Occupational hazard.”

She winced as Ethan examined the wound.

Dominic’s attention sharpened.

“How many men?”

“Twenty, maybe more.”

Carlo cursed.

Seraphina looked almost apologetic.

“My father tends to overreact.”

Then her expression darkened.

“He also brought Luca.”

Even Dominic stiffened.

Meline frowned. “Who’s Luca?”

Carlo answered grimly.

“Seraphina’s brother.”

Seraphina’s smile vanished entirely.

“He enjoys hurting people.”

As if summoned by the words, a voice echoed down the hallway.

“Seraphina!”

Smooth.

Cheerful.

Terrifying.

“You always did pick the wrong side.”

A tall man emerged through the smoke-filled corridor wearing a tailored navy coat and black leather gloves.

Luca Duca looked almost beautiful.

Until you saw his eyes.

Cold.

Empty.

He smiled at Dominic.

“There’s the groom who broke my sister’s heart.”

Dominic stepped slightly in front of Meline.

Luca noticed immediately.

Then his gaze drifted downward.

Toward her stomach.

His smile widened.

“Well now,” he murmured. “That complicates things.”

Meline felt pure dread crawl down her spine.

Luca tilted his head.

“You know what my father said when he learned about the baby?”

Nobody answered.

“He said a child born from fear grows into someone easy to control.”

Dominic’s voice became deathly soft.

“You came all the way to Boston to quote your father?”

“No.” Luca drew a pistol lazily. “I came to kill you.”

Everything exploded.

Dominic lunged.

Gunfire ripped through the hallway.

Carlo tackled Meline behind overturned equipment as Ethan dragged Seraphina down.

Luca moved with horrifying speed.

One shot.

Two.

Three.

Dominic slammed him into a wall hard enough to crack plaster.

The two men crashed through the corridor like wolves.

Meline screamed as another bullet shattered glass inches from her.

Then suddenly—

Pain seized her stomach again.

Sharp.

Wrong.

Ethan saw her face instantly.

She gasped.

“I can’t—”

Then fluid soaked through her hospital gown.

Ethan went white.

“We need surgery now.”

Dominic heard him.

And everything inside him snapped.

He slammed Luca backward and drew a knife so fast the blade flashed silver beneath hospital lights.

Luca grinned even while bleeding.

“You love her enough to die for her?”

Dominic’s eyes became monstrous.

The knife pressed against Luca’s throat.

“I love her enough to kill the world for her.”

Then he drove the blade down.

Luca screamed.

Chaos erupted.

Duca men surged down the corridor.

Valente soldiers returned fire.

And Dominic ran back toward Meline just as she began crying in terror.

“The baby—Dominic—the baby—”

He grabbed her face.

“Look at me.”

Her panicked eyes locked onto his.

“You hear me?” he said fiercely. “You and that child are surviving this.”

Doctors burst into the room with a gurney.

Ethan pointed sharply.

They rushed Meline toward emergency surgery.

Dominic followed until nurses physically blocked him.

“No further.”

For the first time in years, Dominic Valente looked helpless.

The operating room doors slammed shut.

And the red surgical light turned on.

Six hours later, dawn bled pale gold across Boston.

Dominic had not moved.

Blood covered his shirt.

Some belonged to enemies.

Some belonged to him.

None mattered.

Only the operating room doors mattered.

No response.

“We found Luca.”

That got Dominic’s attention.

“Unfortunately.”

Dominic stood slowly.

Something terrible moved beneath his calm.

Then the operating room doors opened.

Ethan stepped out looking exhausted.

Dominic crossed the distance instantly.

“She okay?”

Ethan stared at him for a long moment.

Then finally smiled faintly.

“You have a daughter.”

“A…”

Ethan nodded.

“Tiny. Angry. Healthy.”

Dominic looked like he’d been struck.

A daughter.

Meline survived.

The baby survived.

Something shattered open inside him so violently he had to grip the wall.

Carlo actually looked emotional.

“Holy hell,” he muttered.

Dominic swallowed hard.

“She’s awake.”

Dominic entered the recovery room slowly.

And there she was.

Pale.

Exhausted.

Beautiful.

Meline looked up weakly.

Then smiled.

Dominic’s chest nearly gave out.

A nurse carefully placed a tiny bundled infant into his arms.

Dominic froze instantly.

The baby was impossibly small.

Dark hair.

Tiny fists.

And furious little cries.

He stared at her like he’d never seen anything holy before.

Meline watched tears gather in his eyes.

Actual tears.

Dominic looked terrified to even breathe near the child.

“She’s real,” he whispered.

Meline laughed softly.

The baby grabbed one of Dominic’s fingers.