Chapter Fourteen
L eon, Calderone and John were all in the security room when an SUV tried to ram the front gate.
John was ordering his men to watch and be careful because this attempt might be a distraction. And before he got the words out, grenades came over the fence line. Explosions were heard in several places but the main house was too far back to take the brunt of the hits.
“There are more men attacking than we thought, but we still have more on our side.” John flipped a switch and the entire fence line went electric and they could hear the screams of the men in the vehicle that burst into flames.
There were gunshots and his men fired back.
The men on the other side screamed as Leon’s men were hitting their marks.
Leon shouted from where he stood while peering at his smart phone, “The fuck, they are heading for the gates, again.”
John nodded at Calderone. “He’s right. We got an even bigger SUV at the gates. They just ran through and men are pouring out of—”
Bullets started to rain up against the house.
“It’s okay,” John called out. “The windows are bulletproof. Okay, men. Get ready to defend!” John yelled through a comm. “Take your shots!”
The men on the video feed all moved forward to battle with the men who had somehow gotten in through the fence.
“Fire!” John shouted.
Bullets flew, hitting some of the men attacking. Then some ducked for cover.
Soon, there were sirens coming toward the house and Leon called his contact in the police department to call his men back. He didn’t need the local law involved in a mob war at this current time.
More shots were fired and more men went down on both sides. But there were more men on the other side that fell than on Leon’s side.
Finally, after about thirty minutes, a white flag was waved on the other side of the fence.
Leon, Calderone and John walked out of the main house and down the driveway toward it but they didn’t get too close.
“Who are you and what do you want here?” Leon shouted out.
“My name is Stephano Caldousce and I’m here on behalf of my father Gianno Caldousce,” Stephano called out..
Suddenly, a shot rang out and Stephano fell. Once he was down on the ground, he didn’t move.
John approached the fallen man about the same time Rowen exited the garage. She held a gun in her hand as she stumbled toward her father as well.
Leon caught up with her then he gripped her upper arm and held her in place.
John stood from where he’d knelt next to her father. He then turned toward Leon and shook his head.
Leon’s hands tightened his hold on her as he asked, “Why did you shoot him? He was holding a white flag.”
“Take a look at his other hand,” Rowen told him as she winced at his grip.
Leon frowned and turned to tell John, “Check his hands.”
One of the downed men close by coughed and looked over at Stephano. “Well, I’ll be damned, he did have some guts after all. His daddy would have been surprised.” Again, he coughed and then he went still.
John checked Stephano’s other hand and wasn’t really surprised at the sight of a small handgun next to his fingers. He got up then headed back to Leon and Calderone. “He had the white flag in one hand and a gun in the other.”
Leon stared at Rowen. “How did you know?”
Rowen had tears rolling down her face as she shook her head.
“My father was a weak man, but I knew this more than anyone. I came out because I knew he would try something like that. A white flag? No, he had no such honor to wave one. It fit perfectly that he would hold a flag of surrender up and still have a gun in his hand. I half expected this from him.”
Leon shook his head then he looked at John and said, “First off, check on our men then check those outside the fence. Make sure all of the men Gianno sent here are dead. I have no time or mercy to have them arrested. They lost all their rights by attacking our home. Then I’ll let the police come in and call the Council about this. ”
John reached over and took the weapon from Rowen’s hand before he tucked it into his belt.
Leon turned to her and asked, “Are you and Calli alright?”
Rowen nodded. “I think so but I may have messed up Donavan. He wouldn’t let me come up and I knew my dad better than he did.
I had to knock him out to get free.” She looked sad.
“I’m sorry about that, more sorry than you’ll ever know.
He’s been nothing but kind to us and I treated him like that? He’ll never forgive me.”
“Why is that important to you?” Leon asked as he raided a brow at her.
“It just is, okay?” Rowen shrugged.
“Why don’t you go back downstairs and check on the man, okay? Then get your brother and spend some time in the main house with us,” Leon suggested. “I need to speak to the council first then to the police. They don’t even have to know you are there if you prefer it.”
Rowen nodded. “Thank you, Leon.” Then she went back down to the safe room.
Donavan was sitting on the sofa with an ice bag at the back of his head.
“I know,” she wailed. “I’m so sorry but I was right, dad was holding a white flag and a gun. I had to stop him and I did.” Rowen fell to her knees as she was really crying hard now. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Donavan dropped the ice bag to the floor and went over to kneel in front of her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine but I hurt you,” she whispered in shame. “You shouldn’t be asking how I am.”
Donavan hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I got a hard head, I’ll be okay. I just didn’t want you to catch a bullet out there.”
“I know, but it was on me as head of my family to stop him.”
He held her close. “You shouldn’t have had to.”
She sighed and whispered back, “Just like you protected your family, Donavan. So, I know you get it.”
He patted her back gently. “Yes, I do. So don’t feel badly about it. We do what we have to.”
She looked up and said, “I bet you regret kissing a girl who would knock you out like that.”
Donavan laughed then winced as he reached back to his head again. “I think you’re worth it.”
She slowly shook her head at him. “Leon wants us up in the main house while they clean up the mess. Then he has to call the Council and the cops.”
Donavan nodded. “Ok, let's go get Calli and get out of the way, so he can make his calls. I have to wonder how your Uncle Marco did tonight.”