Chapter 12

The chaos had settled, but Madeline's heart still pounded.

Victor had escaped.

Again.

But Hugo was alive. Barely.

"Come on," she whispered, tightening her grip on his arm. He was weak, barely able to stand, but the fire in his eyes told her he wouldn't let himself be a burden. Not now.

Luca and Domenico flanked them, guns still raised, scanning the church for any stragglers. Catherine moved in, pulling Hugo's other arm over her shoulder.

"We need to move," Luca said. "Victor won't let this go."

Madeline nodded, forcing herself to push aside the frustration curling in her chest. Victor had played her. He had expected her to come, expected them to bring the fight. 

And yet, he had let himself slip away just before the final blow.

Because this was never about Hugo.

This was about her.

Madeline swallowed back the realization and focused on getting Hugo out. They moved quickly through the abandoned streets, slipping into the shadows as sirens wailed in the distance.

It wasn't until they were back at the cabin, safe behind locked doors, that she let herself breathe.

Catherine eased Hugo onto the couch, immediately going to work on his wounds. His face was a mess of bruises, his lip split, and his left eye nearly swollen shut. But he was alive.

Domenico leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. "Victor let you live," he said, looking at Hugo.

 "Why?"

 "Because I gave him what he wanted."

Silence fell over the room.

Madeline took a step forward. "What do you mean?"

Hugo winced as Catherine pressed a damp cloth to a cut on his cheek. "He wasn't after information. He wanted to know how far you'd go to save me."

Madeline's stomach twisted. "So this was all a test?"

Hugo gave a weak nod. "And you passed."

Luca's jaw tightened. "That doesn't make sense. Victor doesn't play games without an end goal."

Madeline paced, her mind racing. "He told me I was worth more than I realized."

Domenico frowned. "That's cryptic as hell."

Catherine sat back, arms folded. "Maybe not. Think about it—Victor has all the power he could ever want. Money, control, resources. But he let Hugo go, and he didn't kill any of us when he had the chance."

Madeline stopped pacing. "Because he needs me alive."

Luca turned to Hugo. "Did he say anything else?"

Hugo hesitated, then sighed. "He said he'd see you soon."

"He's not done," Luca muttered.

Madeline clenched her fists. "Then we end this first."

---

The next morning, the team gathered around the table, the map of Victor's operations spread before them.

"We need to find him before he makes his next move," Luca said, marking key locations where Victor's men operated. "Last night, we shook him. But that won't last."

Madeline's fingers hovered over the map. "He wants me. That's our advantage."

Hugo scoffed, wincing as he shifted in his chair. "You call that an advantage?"

Madeline met his gaze. "Yes. Because it means he won't kill me."

Luca's expression darkened. "Madeline—"

"I'm not saying I'll hand myself over," she cut in. "But we can use his obsession against him."

Domenico smirked. "You want to bait the predator."

 "Exactly. We hit another one of his operations, but this time, we leave him a message. We make him come to us."

 "But that's risky."

"So is waiting for him to strike first," Madeline countered.

Luca studied her, then the map. "If we do this, we need to control the battlefield. No more letting him set the rules."

Madeline leaned forward. "Then let's take the fight to him."

---

That night, they moved.

The target was one of Victor's key distribution centers—a high-end casino fronting his illegal empire. Money, weapons, information—it all flowed through here.

Madeline adjusted her earpiece as she stepped onto the casino floor, her dress blending in with the opulence.

Luca's voice came through her comm. "Security's tight. Cameras everywhere."

Madeline smirked. "Good. We want him to see us."

Domenico was already inside, posing as a wealthy player at the poker tables. Catherine moved through the room with a tray of drinks, disguised as a waitress.

Luca and Hugo were outside, ready to cut the power when the time came.

Madeline made her way toward the VIP section. She could feel the eyes on her—the security watching, waiting.

Then, she found him.

One of Victor's top lieutenants, Marcus DeLuca.

She slid into the seat across from him at the blackjack table, her lips curling into a small smile.

 "Mind if I join?" She asked.

Marcus eyed her. "Depends. Are you here to win, or are you here to cause trouble?"

Madeline leaned forward, her voice dropping just enough to be heard over the chatter.

 "Who says I can't do both?"

Marcus chuckled. 

"Bold."

She placed a chip on the table. "Let's play."

The dealer shuffled the cards, and Madeline played along, her real focus on the conversation.

"Victor's been awfully quiet lately," she mused. "Makes me wonder what he's up to."

Marcus smirked. "You'd know better than me, wouldn't you?"

Madeline's heart beat faster, but she kept her expression unreadable. "Maybe. But I'd rather hear it from the source."

Marcus tapped his fingers against the table. "Careful, sweetheart. Curiosity gets people killed."

She tilted her head. "Then it's a good thing I don't die easy."

Marcus studied her, then leaned in. "You think you're in control, don't you?"

Madeline held his gaze. "I know I am."

At that moment, the lights flickered.

Then, the power cut.

Screams erupted as darkness swallowed the casino.

Madeline moved fast, slipping away from the table. Her earpiece crackled. "Go," Luca ordered.

Domenico took out the nearest guard, while Catherine discreetly placed a flash drive into the security system's main console.

"Thirty seconds," Hugo's voice warned.

Madeline reached into her clutch, pulling out a small device. She placed it under the table where Marcus had been sitting.

Then, she whispered into the darkness.

"This is your warning, Victor."

The emergency lights flickered back on, but by then, they were gone.

---

Back at the safe house, Luca plugged the flash drive into his laptop. Data scrolled across the screen—transactions, security details, messages.

Madeline stood behind him, scanning for anything useful.

Then she saw it.

A name.

Her stomach tightened.

"Victor's next move," she murmured.

Luca's brows furrowed. "That's one of his private estates."

Madeline's pulse quickened. "Not just any estate. That's where he takes people who don't leave alive."

Silence filled the room.

Catherine exhaled. "Then we go there next."

Domenico grinned. "And this time, we finish it."

Madeline nodded, a fire burning in her chest.

Victor had been playing his game long enough.

Now, it is their turn.