Chapter 20

The moment they stepped into the corridor, the scent of gunpowder and death filled the air. The warehouse was silent—too silent.

Valentina tightened her grip on the pistol, her adrenaline drowning out the pain in her thigh.

Lorenzo moved ahead, his bloodied hands wrapped around a stolen knife. His shirt clung to him, soaked in crimson, his muscles taut with fury.

They weren't escaping.

They were hunting.

And Dante had nowhere left to run.

---

A Predator's Path

They moved like ghosts, weaving through the dimly lit hallways. The overhead lights flickered, casting long shadows against the concrete walls.

Valentina counted three bodies ahead—Dante's men. Armed.

Lorenzo looked at her. "You want left or right?"

She smirked. "I'll take both."

Before he could respond, she raised her gun and fired—two shots, two kills. The third man spun, but she was already moving.

She slammed her elbow into his throat, cutting off his scream. His gun clattered to the floor as she wrapped an arm around his neck, yanking him backward.

Lorenzo didn't wait. He buried his knife into the man's stomach, twisting. The body slumped at their feet.

The air between them crackled.

Lorenzo wiped his blade clean against his shirt, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're enjoying this."

Valentina licked her lips, her breath unsteady. "So are you."

He let out a dark chuckle. "You have no idea."

Footsteps echoed down the hall. More men.

Valentina turned, her pulse pounding. "Then let's keep going."

---

Dante's Web

They reached a steel door at the end of the hallway. Lorenzo pressed his ear against it, listening.

Then he smiled.

"I hear his heartbeat."

He kicked the door open.

The room beyond was vast, the warehouse's main floor. Dante stood in the center, flanked by half a dozen men.

A throne of power built on betrayal.

Dante turned, slow, measured. "You're alive."

Lorenzo wiped blood from his chin. "Not for long, if you keep wasting my time."

Dante exhaled a quiet laugh. "You two are quite the pair. Ruthless. Reckless." His gaze slid to Valentina. "You sure you want to die for him, Rossi?"

Valentina raised her gun. "I'm not dying tonight."

Dante nodded to his men. "Kill them."

The gunfire was deafening.

Valentina dove behind a stack of crates, firing blindly. Lorenzo moved like a storm, dodging bullets as he closed in on his prey.

She caught a glimpse of him through the chaos—his knife flashing, his body moving with lethal precision.

Her heart clenched.

She wanted him.

Now. Later. Always.

But first—

She needed to kill Dante.

---

The Devil's Last Stand

Dante was running.

Valentina cursed, chasing him up a metal staircase. Her leg burned, but she pushed through it.

The catwalk rattled under their weight as they reached the rooftop exit.

Dante shoved through the door, emerging into the cold night air.

She was right behind him.

He turned, gun raised.

She fired first.

The bullet ripped through his shoulder. He stumbled back, cursing.

Valentina stalked forward, her gun steady. "Beg."

Dante spat blood. "You don't have it in you."

She pressed the barrel against his forehead.

Lorenzo appeared behind her, his hands slick with blood, his chest rising and falling in sharp breaths. He watched her, silent, waiting.

Letting her decide.

Her finger curled around the trigger.

Dante laughed, even as he bled. "Kill me, and you become just like me."

Valentina tilted her head. "No."

Then she pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed across the rooftop.

Dante collapsed, lifeless.

It was over.

Almost.

---

Unchained Desire

The adrenaline didn't fade.

It transformed.

Lorenzo grabbed her, spinning her around. His hands dug into her waist, his breath hot against her lips.

"You didn't hesitate," he rasped.

She exhaled, her chest heaving. "I never do."

A dark hunger flickered in his eyes. "That's why I want you."

Then his mouth crashed against hers.

The world blurred.

Her back hit the cold concrete wall, but she barely felt it. His hands were everywhere—rough, demanding, sliding beneath her torn shirt.

She gasped as he lifted her, pressing her against the rooftop railing.

She should've been terrified.

Instead, she tilted her head back, exposing her throat.

A silent dare.

Lorenzo growled, his teeth grazing her skin. "You drive me insane, Rossi."

Her nails dug into his shoulders. "Then do something about it."

She teased