Chapter 5 - The Wrath of the MasterThe raid was over in less than two minutes.
The two surviving intruders were pinned against the stone wall of the courtyard, disarmed, zip-tied, and bleeding from minor defensive wounds inflicted by the estate guards. The third man—the one who had grabbed Claire—was pinned to the ground beneath Ranger’s massive front paws, staring up into the mastiff’s glowing amber eyes with a look of sheer, paralyzing terror.
The mastiff’s low, rumbling growl vibrated through the frozen ground.
Vincent walked slowly across the courtyard, his boots crunching in the slush. He didn't look at the captured men. His dark, piercing eyes were fixed entirely on Claire, who was kneeling in the snow, clutching a sobbing Maddie against her chest near the side of the cottage.
Vincent dropped his weapon into a guard's outstretched hand as he approached. He knelt down beside Claire, his face tight with a dangerous, suppressed fury.
"Are you hurt?" Vincent asked, his voice uncharacteristically urgent.
"No," Claire gasped, her teeth chattering from the cold and the adrenaline. "We're... we're okay. Maddie is okay."
Vincent reached out, gently placing a warm, heavy hand over Maddie’s small back, feeling the child tremble beneath her wool coat. He looked up at one of his senior guards.
"Take them inside the main manor. Secure them in the basement holding cells," Vincent ordered, his voice dropping into a register of pure ice. "And call Owen. I want a complete forensic sweep of the west perimeter. I want to know who let them through the fence."
"Yes, Mr. Calloway," the guard replied, hauling the pinned intruder off the ground while another yanked the masked men toward the main house.
As the guards moved away, Ranger slowly released his grip on the snow, stepping back from the frozen grass. He shook his massive head, spraying water droplets into the air, and trotted over to where Claire and Maddie were sitting.
Without a word of command, the hundred-and-fifty-pound mastiff lowered his heavy head, resting his cold nose gently against Maddie’s knee.
Maddie sniffled, wiping a tear from her cheek, and reached out with her small, mittened hand to stroke the mastiff's ear.
"Good dog," she whispered.
Ranger let out a soft, contented huff.
Vincent watched them, his expression softening as the harsh adrenaline of the firefight drained from his system. He extended his hand, helping Claire to her feet, supporting her weight as she wobbled slightly in the snow.
"You can't stay in the staff cottage anymore," Vincent said quietly, keeping his hand on her elbow to steady her.
Claire looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat. "Mr. Calloway... please. I have nowhere else to go. If you're letting me go because of the security breach—"
"I'm not letting you go, Claire," Vincent interrupted, using her first name again with a quiet, unyielding finality. "The staff cottage is too exposed. The west wing of the main manor has a private suite with secure access, bulletproof glass, and a private entrance facing the inner courtyard."
Claire stared at him, stunned. "The main house? But I'm a housekeeper—"
"You're working for me," Vincent said simply. "And more importantly, you and your daughter are under my roof. Under my direct protection."
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He looked down at Ranger, who was still keeping a watchful, protective vigil beside the little girl.
"It seems," Vincent added, a faint, genuine smile touching his lips for the first time that night, "our protection detail has already been chosen."
