~ Chapter 13 ~

The tension in the air was suffocating as Leo prepared for the retaliation against the Valentis. The warehouse attack had been a calculated move, a direct challenge to his authority, and Leo knew there was no room for hesitation.

Seraphina stood at the edge of the room, watching him arm himself with quiet precision. He strapped a holster over his broad shoulders, slid a knife into his boot, and checked the magazine of his gun with practiced ease.

"Do you always do this alone?" she asked softly, breaking the silence.

Leo didn't look at her as he responded, his voice calm but firm. "No. Matteo and my men will be there."

"That's not what I meant," she said, stepping closer. "I mean… do you ever let anyone help carry the weight?"

His hands paused, the question striking deeper than she had intended. He turned to face her, his stormy eyes locking onto hers. "This is my burden, Seraphina. It's not something I can share."

She frowned, her heart aching at the vulnerability hidden beneath his words. "It doesn't have to be."

For a moment, the mask slipped, and she saw the man beneath—the one who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, even as it threatened to crush him. But just as quickly, the mask returned.

"I'll come back," he said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"You'd better," she replied, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her.

The warehouse loomed ahead, its once-bustling façade now eerily silent. Leo crouched behind a stack of crates with Matteo and three of his most trusted men.

"They're expecting us," Matteo murmured, his voice barely audible.

Leo smirked, the glint in his eyes unmistakable. "Good. Let them."

He signaled to his men, and they moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine, their footsteps silent as they approached the building. The Valentis had fortified the area, but Leo had anticipated as much.

The first gunshot rang out, shattering the silence. Chaos erupted as Leo's men engaged the Valentis, the clash of gunfire echoing through the night.

Leo moved like a shadow, his every action deliberate and lethal. He disarmed one attacker with a swift twist of his wrist, sending the man crashing to the ground. Another lunged at him, but Leo's knife found its mark, the fight over in seconds.

Matteo covered his back, their years of partnership evident in the way they worked together without needing to speak.

As the last of the Valentis' men fell, Leo stepped into the center of the warehouse. Vittorio was nowhere to be seen, but the message he had left behind was clear: this was only the beginning.

Hours later, Leo returned to the safe house, his shirt stained with blood that wasn't his own. He found Seraphina waiting for him in the kitchen, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea.

"You're back," she said, relief washing over her features.

"I told you I would be," he replied, his voice rough with exhaustion.

She stood and approached him, her eyes scanning him for injuries. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing," he said, brushing her concern aside.

But she wasn't having it. "Sit," she ordered, surprising them both with the firmness in her tone.

Leo raised an eyebrow but obeyed, sinking into the chair. Seraphina grabbed the first aid kit and began cleaning a shallow cut on his arm.

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly, watching her.

"Someone has to," she replied, her focus on her task.

Her touch was gentle, and for a moment, Leo allowed himself to relax. Her presence was a balm he hadn't known he needed, and he found himself wondering how someone so pure could exist in his world of shadows.

When she finished, she looked up at him, her expression soft but serious. "You can't keep doing this forever, Leo."

"I don't have a choice," he said, his voice resigned.

"There's always a choice," she countered. "You just have to decide if the price is worth it."

He didn't respond, the weight of her words settling heavily on his shoulders.

The next morning, Matteo burst into the room, his face grim.

"We have a problem," he said, his voice tight.

Leo stood, his posture immediately tense. "What now?"

"Vittorio's made his next move," Matteo said. "He's taken someone close to us."

"Who?" Leo demanded.

Matteo hesitated. "One of the women who works at Inferno. Rosa."

Leo's jaw clenched, a mixture of anger and guilt flashing in his eyes. Rosa had been loyal to him for years, her work at the club invaluable.

"This is a message," Matteo continued. "He's trying to bait you."

"It's working," Leo said coldly. "Where is she?"

Matteo handed him a piece of paper with an address scrawled on it. "An abandoned villa outside the city. He wants you to come alone."

"Of course he does," Leo muttered.

Seraphina, who had been standing silently in the corner, stepped forward. "You're not going alone."

Leo turned to her, his expression hard. "Yes, I am."

"No, you're not," she said, her voice firm. "You'll need backup, even if you don't admit it."

"She's right," Matteo added. "This could be a trap."

Leo sighed, his frustration evident. "Fine. But you stay in the car," he said, looking directly at Seraphina.

She nodded, though they both knew she had no intention of staying behind.

The abandoned villa was a crumbling relic of another time, its once-grand façade now cloaked in shadows. Leo approached cautiously, his gun drawn, while Matteo and Seraphina waited nearby.

Inside, Vittorio's men had set up their ambush, but Leo was ready. He moved like a phantom, taking out his enemies one by one with brutal efficiency.

When he finally found Rosa, she was tied to a chair in the center of a dimly lit room. Her face was bruised, but her eyes sparkled with defiance.

"Leo," she said, relief flooding her voice.

"I've got you," he said, cutting her bindings.

But before they could leave, Vittorio appeared, his gun trained on Leo.

"Going somewhere?" he sneered.

The tension in the room was palpable as the two men faced off, their hatred simmering beneath the surface.

"This ends now," Leo said, his voice deadly.

Vittorio smirked. "Oh, it's far from over."

And as the first shot rang out, Seraphina realized that her place in Leo's world was no longer just as an observer. She was in it, whether she liked it or not.

To Be Continued...