Aaria's legs burned, but she didn't stop running. Her hand gripped Luca's wrist tightly as he led her through the endless corridors of concrete and rusted metal, their footsteps echoing against the hollow tunnel walls. Every sound behind them made her heart leap. Every breath felt like a countdown.
"Where's Dominic?" she panted.
Luca didn't answer at first. His jaw was clenched, eyes scanning the path ahead.
"Where is he?" she repeated, louder this time.
Luca finally turned to her, his face hardened. "Buying us time."
That hit harder than it should have. She dug her heels in and stopped, yanking her hand free. "We have to go back."
Luca's eyes narrowed. "Do you have a death wish?"
"I'm not leaving him down there alone!"
"I get that you care about him," Luca said through gritted teeth, "but we're not the ones with the guns right now. Dominic gave an order."
Aria's voice cracked. "I don't care about orders."
They stared at each other, breathless. The tension was sharp, but underneath it, Luca saw the same fire Dominic had fallen for. That stubborn streak of defiance that refused to bend. It was dangerous. It was exactly what Dominic needed.
"Listen," Luca said more quietly now, "he's not dying tonight. Dominic's survived worse. You're his focus right now. And trust me, the man does not lose what he cares about."
Aria blinked hard, nodding despite the tears that welled up in her eyes. She turned and followed, jaw tight, heart trembling.
Behind them, the tunnels rumbled with distant gunfire.
---
Dominic crouched behind a crumbling pillar, the air thick with smoke and gunpowder. Bullets pinged off concrete, and one ricochet came close enough to graze his temple. He wiped the blood from his brow and reloaded calmly, as if this was just another day in hell.
He moved fast, ducking behind debris, firing two precise shots. Both found their marks. Two of Adrian's men went down.
But the last one… the last one wasn't just another faceless thug.
"Been a long time, Moretti," said the voice from the shadows.
Dominic's stomach clenched.
The man stepped into the dim light, holding an assault rifle lazily against his shoulder. Tall, scarred, with cruel eyes and a crooked grin. Sergio.
"You shouldn't be alive," Dominic muttered.
"Neither should you," Sergio replied, circling slowly. "But here we are. Full circle."
"You working for Adrian now?"
"I'm working for whoever lets me put a bullet in your skull."
Dominic didn't hesitate. He shot once, but Sergio ducked, fast as a viper. The return fire forced Dominic into a roll, landing hard against a steel beam.
The echo of boots followed.
"You lost your edge," Sergio called.
Dominic wiped the blood from his lip. "You mistake patience for weakness."
They clashed. Hand to hand now. The tunnel lit with violence as fists met flesh, and metal cracked bone. Dominic took a hard hit to the ribs, but he gave back more. Sergio went down, groaning, spitting blood.
Dominic stood over him, breathing hard.
"You always were second best," he muttered.
But before he could finish it, a voice crackled over Sergio's radio.
"Fall back. We've got what we need. Leave him."
Dominic watched as Sergio rolled to the side and disappeared into the shadows like a rat. His instincts screamed to chase, but his chest ached with more than just bruised ribs.
Aria.
He turned and ran.
---
By the time Dominic emerged from the tunnels, dawn was bleeding over the horizon. He was bruised, bloodied, and limping. But nothing mattered except the figure standing near the black SUV with a blanket wrapped around her.
She looked up the second he stepped into view.
Their eyes locked.
Dominic's breath caught in his throat. Aria looked small, but she stood tall. Her hair was messy, eyes rimmed red, but she didn't crumble. She walked to him slowly, the blanket falling off her shoulders.
Neither of them said a word.
When she reached him, she touched his face gently, her fingers brushing the dried blood.
"I told Luca I wouldn't cry," she said, her voice low.
Dominic gave a faint, crooked smile. "Did you lie?"
"A little."
He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "I thought I lost you."
"You didn't," she whispered.
They stood like that for a long moment, the air still, the city slowly coming back to life around them.
Then Dominic's phone buzzed.
His face darkened as he read the screen.
"What is it?" Aria asked.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he handed her the phone.
On it was a photo.
A warehouse.
And scrawled across the wall in blood-red paint was a message.
Your empire is next.
Aria's blood ran cold.
Dominic looked at her with a fire in his eyes she hadn't seen before.
"This isn't over," he said.
She nodded, swallowing hard. "Then we fight back."
Dominic placed a hand on her cheek. "No, Aria. We burn everything they love. And we don't stop until they beg for mercy."
A storm was coming. And this time, Dominic Moretti wasn't playing defense.