The Price of Love

The world was a blur of sound and motion. Luca barely registered Dante dragging him forward, Evelyn limp in his arms. She wasn't moving.

She wasn't moving.

"Just hold on," Luca whispered, his voice breaking. "Please, Evie."

Her blood was warm against his fingers, soaking through his clothes. The bullet had torn through her shoulder, but she was breathing—shallow, uneven, but breathing.

"We need to get to the car, now!" Dante shouted over the gunfire.

Luca gritted his teeth, tightening his hold on Evelyn as they pushed forward. The trees blurred past, his legs burning, his body screaming for rest. But stopping wasn't an option.

Then—headlights.

Dante yanked open the car door. "Get in!"

Luca barely managed to climb into the backseat, pulling Evelyn against him. Dante floored the gas before the door even shut, tires kicking up dirt as they sped off into the night.

Evelyn stirred, a weak sound leaving her lips. Relief hit Luca so hard it almost hurt.

"Hey," he whispered, brushing damp hair from her face. "Stay with me."

Her eyes fluttered open. "Luca…" Her voice was barely a breath.

"You're okay," he promised, even though his hands were shaking. "I've got you."

Dante glanced at them through the mirror. "We need to stop the bleeding. There's a med kit under the seat."

Luca reached down, yanking it out with one hand while keeping Evelyn steady with the other. He pressed a bandage against the wound, his fingers slick with her blood.

She hissed in pain but didn't pull away.

"Good," Luca whispered. "You're still fighting."

A weak smirk touched her lips. "Always."

Luca let out a shaky breath, his forehead resting against hers. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't.

Dante's voice was tight. "We need a safe house, and we need it now."

Luca clenched his jaw. "I know a place."

Dante shot him a look. "You sure?"

Luca's eyes burned with something dark. "Yeah. And if they follow us there, they won't leave alive."

—

Next Chapter: A Fire That Never Dies