Blood in the Water

Serena's POV

I should have run.

I could have left.

But I didn't.

And now, standing in my dimly lit bedroom, staring out the tall windows into the night, I was starting to understand why.

This world had already sunk its claws into me.

I clenched my fists.

No. I refuse to become part of this.

A knock on the door snapped me from my thoughts.

I turned, expecting a guard.

Instead, Elena stepped inside, her usual smirk missing.

That alone made my stomach tighten.

She shut the door behind her, arms crossed. "You need to be ready."

I frowned. "Ready for what?"

She exhaled sharply. "For war."

My heart stopped.

---

Lorenzo's POV

Dante's voice was grim. "It's them."

I didn't need to ask who.

The Rossi family.

For years, they had waited, circling like vultures, testing the limits of my patience.

Tonight, they had finally made their move.

I poured a drink, calm despite the storm brewing outside. "How bad?"

Dante's jaw was tight. "Three of our men are dead. One survived, but barely. They left a message."

I swirled the whiskey in my glass. "Let me guess. A warning?"

Dante nodded. "They want a meeting."

I chuckled darkly. "They want a bullet between the eyes."

Dante hesitated. "Lorenzo, this is different. They're not just pushing boundaries anymore. They know about Serena."

The glass in my hand cracked.

I set it down, eyes cold as steel.

"They want to use her against me."

Dante nodded. "They know she matters."

I leaned back, a slow smirk curling my lips.

"Then let them try."

---

Serena's POV

A war.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my thoughts racing.

Elena had left, but her words lingered.

You need to be ready.

Ready for what?

I was a prisoner in this house, caught in a world I didn't belong in.

How the hell was I supposed to prepare for war?

The door burst open.

I jumped to my feet just as Lorenzo stepped in.

The moment our eyes met, I knew something had changed.

His usual smirk was gone.

His presence was charged, lethal.

"We need to talk," he said, voice low.

I swallowed hard. "About?"

He stepped closer. "The Rossi family knows about you."

A chill ran down my spine. "So?"

Lorenzo's gaze darkened. "So now, you're a target."

I stared at him. "Why? Because they think I'm important to you?"

He didn't answer.

And that silence told me everything.

I exhaled. "Let me go."

His eyes flashed. "No."

I clenched my fists. "Lorenzo, if they're coming for me, then keeping me here puts everyone in danger."

He stepped even closer, his presence suffocating. "You think I'd let them touch you?"

I swallowed, hating the way his voice sent shivers down my spine.

"You don't control them," I said. "If they want me dead, they'll come."

His jaw tightened. "Then let them."

The raw promise of violence in his voice made my pulse pound.

I shook my head. "You're insane."

His lips curled. "And you're still here."

I hated that he was right.

Before I could respond, a loud boom shook the walls.

Gunfire.

Screams echoed through the hallways.

Lorenzo's head snapped toward the door.

Then—BANG.

The windows shattered.

Glass rained down around us as a bullet tore through the room.

I dropped to the floor, heart hammering.

Lorenzo didn't flinch.

He pulled a gun from his holster and grabbed my wrist, yanking me up. "Move."

I barely had time to react before he was dragging me through the halls.

Gunshots rang out from all directions.

His men were shouting, returning fire.

The house was under attack.

Lorenzo pushed me against the wall, pressing his body over mine, shielding me as another explosion rattled the mansion.

The front gates were breached.

"They're inside," I whispered.

His grip on me tightened. "Not for long."

Then he grabbed my hand and ran.

---

Lorenzo's POV

The Rossi bastards had finally crossed the line.

I led Serena through the hallways, my gun raised, my men already retaliating.

Blood stained the floors.

Bodies dropped left and right.

Dante barked orders through his earpiece. "We're securing the eastern wing, but they're coming in fast."

I shoved Serena into an elevator and stepped in behind her, pressing the button for the basement.

The doors shut, muffling the chaos outside.

She was breathing hard, eyes wide with adrenaline.

I turned to her. "When those doors open, you stay behind me."

She swallowed. "And if you die?"

I smirked. "Then you run."

The doors slid open.

Gunfire erupted instantly.

I fired without hesitation, taking out two of them before they even registered my presence.

Serena stayed behind me.

Good girl.

I grabbed her wrist and led her down the underground corridor. "There's a safehouse at the end of this tunnel. You stay there until I say otherwise."

She pulled back. "No."

I turned, narrowing my eyes. "What?"

Her chin lifted. "I'm not hiding while people die because of me."

A slow rage built in my chest. "This isn't a negotiation."

She didn't back down.

"You're not the only one who hates being powerless," she hissed.

For a moment, I just stared at her.

Then I did something insane.

I pulled a gun from my holster and pressed it into her hands.

Her eyes widened.

I stepped closer, voice low. "Then prove it."

She swallowed. "You think I won't use this?"

I smirked. "I think you're about to find out exactly what you're capable of."

Before she could respond, the next wave of attackers rushed us.

I fired first, dropping two.

And then—

BANG.

I turned, just in time to see Serena lower the smoking gun.

A man collapsed at her feet.

Her hands were shaking.

Her breathing was ragged.

I stepped forward, gripping her wrist. "How does it feel?"

She looked up at me, eyes dark, unreadable.

"I don't know," she whispered.

I grinned.

"You will."

---

So....how did it go?