Chapter 30:No Safe Heaven

The car tore down the dark, winding road, the hum of the engine the only sound between them.

Isla sat rigid in the passenger seat, her fingers still curled around the cold grip of the gun Alessandro had given her.

Her pulse hadn't settled.

Her mind raced with too many questions.

Who had attacked them?

How had they found them?

And why did it feel like Alessandro knew exactly who was behind it?

She turned to him, barely able to make out his profile in the dim glow of the dashboard lights.

His jaw was tight. His grip on the steering wheel was rigid, knuckles white.

He looked furious.

And for the first time—dangerous.

Not in the smooth, controlled way he usually was.

This was different.

This was personal.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

Alessandro didn't glance at her. "Somewhere secure."

Vague. Frustrating.

"Secure?" she echoed. "You said that about the last place, and look how that turned out."

His jaw ticked. "This is different."

"How?"

Silence.

Her stomach twisted. "You know who did this."

Still, he didn't answer.

That was all the confirmation she needed.

"Alessandro."

Finally, he exhaled sharply. "It's someone from my past."

Her heart pounded. "Who?"

His grip on the wheel tightened. "Someone I should've buried a long time ago."

The words sent a chill down her spine.

Because this wasn't business.

This wasn't about their contract.

This was a war.

And she was trapped in the middle of it.

The car sped up, the trees blurring past as they veered off the main road onto a secluded drive.

Minutes later, they pulled up to another estate—smaller than the last, but just as secure.

High gates. Security cameras. Armed guards at the entrance.

Alessandro stepped out first, scanning the perimeter before opening her door.

"Inside," he ordered.

She bristled. "Stop giving me commands."

He exhaled, his patience wearing thin. "Isla."

But she was done being kept in the dark.

She turned to him, frustration and fear colliding in her chest. "I deserve to know what's going on."

His expression hardened. "What you deserve is to stay alive."

A muscle in her jaw ticked. "I can't do that if I don't know what we're up against."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, finally, Alessandro let out a slow breath.

His voice was quieter now. Darker.

"His name is Adrian Costa."

The name meant nothing to her.

But the way Alessandro said it—like it was a curse—made her blood run cold.

"Who is he?" she asked.

Alessandro's gaze locked onto hers.

And when he finally spoke, the words sent a shiver down her spine.

"The man who wants me dead."