A Target in the Shadows

The night was thick with silence as Luca sat on the edge of the motel bed, staring at the black envelope in his hands. The weight of it pressed against his soul like a curse he couldn't escape.

Evelyn sat beside him, her fingers trembling as she reached for his hand. "We still have a choice," she whispered. "We can run."

Luca let out a bitter laugh, squeezing her hand. "You know we can't. Killian would never stop hunting us."

Evelyn's gaze burned into him. "Then let's end him instead."

Her words sent a chill down his spine. Was she serious?

He turned to face her fully. "You don't know what you're saying, Ev."

But she did. Her hazel eyes darkened with something fierce, something unbreakable. "I won't let you carry this alone, Luca. Whatever happens next, we face it together."

He swallowed hard. "You realize what that means?"

She nodded. "I do."

Luca exhaled, leaning his forehead against hers. Their breath mixed in the quiet tension of the room. He didn't deserve her, but God, he needed her.

Evelyn reached for the envelope and ripped it open. Inside was a single name.

Dante Vasquez.

Luca's breath caught. "No."

Evelyn frowned. "Who is he?"

Luca clenched his fists. "A man who doesn't deserve to die."

Evelyn's lips parted. "Then we don't kill him."

Luca looked at her, knowing deep down—this was the moment everything changed.

He wasn't just going to defy Killian.

He was going to destroy him.

And Evelyn would be by his side.

—

Next Chapter: Lovers Against Fate