The Price of Love
The weight of the gun felt heavier than ever as Luca slowly lowered it to the ground. His pulse pounded in his ears, drowning out everything except the sound of Evelyn's ragged breathing.
Vincenzo grinned like a cat toying with a mouse. He nudged Evelyn's chin up with his pistol, his fingers pressing into her jaw. "That's more like it."
Luca clenched his fists. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to move, to rip Vincenzo apart, but one wrong move and Evelyn would be gone.
Dante and Enzo hesitated, their guns still in their hands.
"Drop them," Vincenzo ordered.
Dante shot Luca a desperate look. But they had no choice. Slowly, he and Enzo set their weapons on the ground.
Vincenzo chuckled. "Now, wasn't that easy?"
His grip on Evelyn tightened as he yanked her to her feet. She winced, but her eyes burned with defiance. Even in the face of death, she refused to break.
Luca took a step forward. "Let her go."
Vincenzo sighed. "You always were sentimental, Luca. It's a shame. You could have been great. But love—" he sneered, pressing the gun against Evelyn's temple "—makes men weak."
Luca's jaw tightened. "You don't know anything about love."
Vincenzo smirked. "I know enough. I know that if I pull this trigger, you'll break."
The air crackled with tension. Luca felt Enzo shift slightly beside him. It was subtle, but he understood. They had one chance.
A distraction.
Luca's heart pounded. He had to trust Evelyn.
His eyes locked onto hers. A silent message passed between them.
Then he moved.
In the same second Vincenzo flinched, Evelyn lunged—twisting out of his grip, her heel smashing into his shin.
BANG!
A gunshot rang out.
Luca dove forward, slamming into Vincenzo before he could fire again. They crashed to the floor, weapons scattering.
Chaos erupted.
Dante and Enzo grabbed their guns, taking down Vincenzo's men with ruthless efficiency. Evelyn scrambled backward, her breathing ragged as she searched for a weapon.
Luca and Vincenzo rolled across the concrete, trading punches. Blood splattered as Vincenzo's fist connected with Luca's ribs, but Luca barely felt it.
This wasn't just a fight.
It was an ending.
Vincenzo snarled, reaching for his gun.
Luca didn't let him.
With a brutal twist, he yanked the weapon from Vincenzo's grasp and pressed it to his forehead.
For a moment, time stopped.
Vincenzo's cocky grin faltered.
"You don't have the guts," he whispered.
Luca's finger trembled on the trigger. He thought about all the lives Vincenzo had destroyed. The pain. The loss. The blood spilled.
But then—
Evelyn's voice cut through the haze.
"Luca."
He turned to her.
Her eyes weren't pleading. They weren't afraid.
They were steady.
A silent reminder.
If he pulled the trigger now, he wouldn't just end Vincenzo.
He'd lose himself.
Luca's jaw clenched.
With a growl, he yanked the gun away. Then, with one final, crushing blow, he sent Vincenzo crumbling to the floor.
Unconscious.
Sirens wailed in the distance.
It was over.
Luca exhaled sharply. His hands shook as he turned to Evelyn.
She was already running to him.
He caught her, holding her so tightly he could feel her heartbeat against his own.
"I thought I lost you," she whispered.
Luca buried his face in her hair. "Never."
Dante cleared his throat. "Hate to break up the moment, but we should probably get out of here before the cops arrive."
Luca nodded. He pulled away just enough to cup Evelyn's face, brushing his thumb over her cheek.
"Are you okay?"
She smiled—a small, tired smile. "I am now."
And for the first time in a long time, Luca felt the same.
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Next Chapter: A Future Worth Fighting For