Showdown at the Docks

The scent of salt and rust filled the air as Evelyn and Luca approached the docks. The storm had passed, leaving behind damp wooden planks and puddles that reflected the flickering streetlights.

They moved cautiously, sticking to the shadows. Luca's hand brushed against Evelyn's waist—a silent reassurance.

"He's here," Luca murmured.

Evelyn swallowed hard. She could feel it too. The weight of unseen eyes.

Valerio was close.

A cargo ship loomed ahead, its deck eerily silent. If this was the trap, then Valerio was waiting somewhere inside.

Luca pulled out his gun and held it low. "Stay behind me."

Evelyn huffed. "Not a chance." She pulled her own weapon from the holster at her thigh.

Luca smirked, but it was fleeting. There was no time for amusement.

They stepped onto the metal ramp, boots echoing softly against the steel. The moment they reached the deck, a voice cut through the silence.

"You're late."

Valerio.

He emerged from the shadows, his signature black coat barely stirring in the cold wind. His dark eyes gleamed with amusement—and something darker.

"You could've just surrendered," he said, tilting his head at Luca. "Would've saved you both a lot of pain."

Luca raised his gun. "Not my style."

Valerio sighed. "Pity."

With a snap of his fingers, figures emerged from the darkness—Valerio's men, each one armed to the teeth.

Evelyn's breath hitched. They were outnumbered.

Luca's grip on his gun tightened. "You really think this ends with us on our knees?"

Valerio chuckled. "It ends however I decide."

Then—chaos.

Gunfire erupted. Evelyn ducked behind a shipping container, her pulse hammering. Luca was already moving, returning fire with brutal precision.

She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and ran into the fight.

Valerio wanted them trapped.

But he had no idea what they were truly capable of.

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Next Chapter: The Cost of Love