Chapter 45%
Darius pulled me behind another stack of crates, his grip on my shoulders tightening, “The bomb is about to go off!“”
I glanced toward the car where Miranda was still struggling, panic twisting her expression.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Only a few seconds left.
I turned my gaze back to Rafael, locking eyes with him through the smoke and carnage.}
He still didn’t move.”
Didn’t even blink. As if he was waiting for the explosion. A cold realization settled over me.}
I clenched my jaw.”
“Let’s go,” Darius muttered, gripping my hand firmly.”
I didn’t argue.”
We sprinted toward the exit, moving swiftly through the battlefield, while Lorenzo, despite his wound, pushed forward with his men covering him.}
Then, just as we reached the doors->
BOOM.
The explosion ripped through the warehouse, the blast sending a shockwave through the air as flames engulfed the car.
Miranda’s screams were cut off in an instant.
But-
The battle wasn’t over.”
Even after the explosion, even after Miranda’s bloodcurdling screams were silenced, gunfire still echoed through the warehouse. Rafael’s men, despite losing their leader’s supposed fiancée, continued to fight with ruthless precision.
But so did we.
Darius was a storm of destruction, moving with deadly accuracy as he took down every enemy in his path. His blades flashed, slicing through flesh before his gun finished the job. His fury was controlled but merciless, each kill precise, each movement a calculated strike.} I fought alongside him, dodging, shooting, making sure every bullet counted. The stench of blood filled the air, the sound of bodies hitting the cold ground blending with the lingering smoke from the explosion.}
And then–there was only one left.”
Rafael.
Darius and Rafael faced each other like two wolves ready to rip each other apart. There were no more bullets left, no more weapons to rely on–just raw strength, years of training, and a thirst for blood.
Rafael smirked, rolling his shoulders as he cracked his knuckles. “I was hoping it’d come to this. You’ve been a pain in my ass for too long, Darius.”
Darius scoffed, his sharp gaze locked onto Rafael’s every movement. “And you’ve been a dead man walking since the day you crossed me.“%
Then–they moved.
Rafael threw the first punch, his fist cutting through the air with brutal force. Darius ducked, his body twisting just in time to avoid the hit before countering with a sharp jab to Rafael’s ribs. The impact was solid, making Rafael grunt in pain, but he recovered quickly.
He grabbed Darius by the collar, yanking him forward and slamming his knee into his stomach. Hard.
Darius coughed, but instead of staggering back, he used the momentum to twist Rafael’s arm and send him crashing onto the cold concrete floor.
The ground shook beneath the impact.”
But Rafael was a survivor.
With a snarl, he kicked Darius‘ legs out from under him, sending him toppling backward.
Darius barely had time to block the next attack before Rafael was on him again, raining down fists like a madman.§
One punch landed clean on Darius‘ cheek, snapping his head to the side.
Then another
And another
But Darius wasn’t a man who fell easily.
With a growl, he grabbed Rafael’s wrist mid–swing, twisting it with a sickening snap. Rafael howled in pain, and Darius took the opening- his fist crashed into Rafael’s face so hard that blood sprayed from his mouth.
Rafael staggered. Darius didn’t stop. A punch to the gut. A hook to the jaw Then, with one final, brutal uppercut, Darius sent Rafael flying backward.
Rafael hit the ground, his head smacking against the cold concrete, his body convulsing from the force of it. Blood pooled beneath his lips as he gasped for breath, his entire form shaking #
But even as he lay there, barely holding on, he laughed
32
A low, broken, taunting laugh.
“You think this changes anything?” Rafael rasped, his swollen lips curling into a smirk. “You think killing me will fix what’s already been done?“M
Darius stood over him, his chest heaving, his hands still clenched into fists.
Then, without another word, he reached into his jacket, pulled out his gun, and aimed it straight at Rafael’s bleeding, beaten face.” BANG.
A single shot.
The bullet pierced Rafael’s skull, ending it.
His body twitched once. Then it went still.
It was over.
Darius exhaled slowly, lowering his gun before turning to me. “Let’s go. We still have unfinished business.“}
And he was right.
Because Penelope was waiting.
Miranda’s townhouse was quiet. Too quiet.
Darius and I moved swiftly through the halls, guns in hand, but there was no resistance. No guards. No security. Just an eerie stillness that made my skin crawl.
Then, we found her.
Penelope.
She was sitting on the edge of a large, pristine bed, her small frame wrapped in an oversized sweater. The moment her wide, hollow eyes met mine, I felt a sharp pain in my chest.M
She looked so much like Miranda. But weaker. Thinner. Damaged.
Her wrists had faint bruises. Her lips were cracked. She had the kind of stiffness in her posture that only came from years of suffering. Darius stayed by the door, giving me space as I slowly stepped forward.
“Penelope,” I said softly.”
She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. She just stared, as if I were a ghost she wasn’t sure was real.
I knelt in front of her, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It took me too long to get to you. I should’ve come sooner–I should’ve-“} She shook her head.
“You don’t have to say sorry,” she whispered. Her voice was small, but steady. “I know my mother did something bad to you. I know she hurt you.”
I inhaled sharply.
Penelope clenched her hands into fists on her lap. “I thought you really died that night. Because of me. Because you tried to save me.” Her voice cracked. “I was so scared… I kept thinking–if I hadn’t been born, maybe you wouldn’t have suffered.”}]
My stomach twisted at her words.
I reached for her hands, wrapping them in mine. “Don’t ever say that. None of this was your fault. Miranda–she was evil. She was beyond saving. But you?” I squeezed her fingers. “You didn’t deserve any of this.“}
Her lips trembled, eyes glistening.
Then–she lunged forward, throwing her arms around me.
My body froze for half a second before I hugged her back. Tightly. As if holding her could erase all the years of pain she’d endured.§ “Thank you,” she whispered against my shoulder. “Thank you for coming back for me.”}
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply.”
This girl she wasn’t my daughter.”
But I would protect her like she was.
