My boots clicked against the marble as I hurried toward the back stairs.

Below us, the sound of a heavy crash echoed through the house.

The front doors had been breached.

I descended the service stairs, my hand gripping the cold iron railing.

The air grew colder as I reached the basement corridor leading to the garage.

I pulled the heavy metal fire door open and stepped into the concrete bay.

The silver SUV sat in the shadows, its windshield covered in a thin layer of frost.

I pressed the key fob Luca had given me.

The locks clicked open with a loud thud that echoed in the empty garage.

I climbed into the driver’s seat, slammed the door, and locked it.

My hands were shaking so hard I could barely guide the key into the ignition.

The engine roared to life, the exhaust filling the cold air with white vapor.

I threw the car into reverse and looked at the rearview mirror.

Through the dirty glass, I saw the garage door rising slowly.

Outside, the blizzard was a wall of white.