Chapter 9

Gianna's breath comes in ragged gasps as she sprints down the dark street, the cold air biting at her skin. Her heart pounds in her chest, each beat echoing the fear and uncertainty that's been building ever since the moment she crossed paths with Luca. Now, with everything unraveling, she feels a mix of terror and determination, neither of which can calm the storm inside her.

She's running from Moretti's men, but she's also running from the life she's known, from the choices that have led her here. She's not sure how much longer she can keep running, but she knows she has to keep moving—because if she stops, if she lets the darkness catch up, she might never escape.

The streets blur around her, the city's skyline looming like a distant specter. Somewhere behind her, she can hear the sound of footsteps, gunfire echoing in the night, but she doesn't dare look back.

Luca's Presence Lingers

Gianna's thoughts race back to Luca, to the look in his eyes when he pushed her to safety, his voice commanding her to run. He's always been the one in control, the one who keeps things together, the one who doesn't break. But tonight, everything changed. The Morettis were too much, the situation too dangerous. And now, for the first time, Gianna fears for his life.

She stops at a corner, gasping for air, her legs burning from the sprint. She forces herself to take a moment, to clear her head. But it's hard to focus when her heart is torn in two—between the man she loves and the life he's dragged her into. Every choice she makes seems to pull her deeper into the shadows, and she's not sure how much longer she can stay in the dark.

She stumbles into a small alleyway, the sounds of pursuit growing fainter. Her instincts scream at her to keep moving, but her body is exhausted. She's not sure how much longer she can keep this up.

Suddenly, a shadow appears before her—tall, broad-shouldered, and unmistakable. Luca.

He emerges from the darkness, his clothes disheveled, his face smeared with blood. The moment he sees her, a look of fierce relief crosses his face, but it's quickly replaced by something darker—an edge of desperation.

"You shouldn't be here," he mutters, his voice rough with exhaustion. "It's not safe, Gianna."

Gianna takes a step forward, her heart pounding in her chest. "I couldn't leave you, Luca. Not after everything."

Luca's eyes soften for a moment, but the weight of the situation is too heavy for him to ignore. He grabs her by the wrist, pulling her into his arms with a force that almost knocks the breath out of her.

"We need to go, now," he says urgently, his grip tightening as he leads her down another alley. "Moretti's men are still after us. We can't stay here."

She nods, her chest tight as she follows him. The urgency in his voice is enough to snap her back into focus. There's no time for doubts now, no time for second-guessing. They're in this together—whether they like it or not.

They finally reach an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city, the building hidden from view by the dark of the night. Luca leads her inside, the door creaking closed behind them. The air inside is thick with the smell of rust and decay, the faint echo of their footsteps the only sound in the empty space.

Luca checks the surroundings, his sharp eyes scanning every corner. He's on high alert, the weight of his past settling over him like a heavy cloak. His life is a game of survival, and Gianna is now a part of it. She's caught in his world of power, danger, and betrayal, and there's no turning back.

Gianna looks around the warehouse, her heart pounding as the reality of their situation sinks in. "What now?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

Luca turns to face her, his gaze intense, his jaw clenched with determination. "Now, we wait. The Morettis will be looking for us, but we can't run forever. We need to make our move before they get to us first."

Gianna nods, the weight of his words sinking in. She's learned in the past few days that Luca doesn't make promises he can't keep. And when he says they have to fight, she knows he means it.

Hours pass, the silence between them stretching out like a chasm. Gianna watches Luca as he paces the warehouse, his mind clearly miles away. His every movement is tense, controlled, like a man preparing for a battle he doesn't want to fight but has no choice but to face.

She can't help but feel the strain between them, the invisible thread that once tied them together now pulled taut, stretched to its breaking point. They've been through so much together, but tonight feels different. The stakes are higher, the danger more real. And the trust that once came easily is now fractured, fragile.

"Luca," Gianna finally says, breaking the silence. "I don't know if I can keep doing this."

Luca stops pacing, his gaze locking onto hers. "What do you mean?"

Gianna swallows hard, her throat tight with emotion. "This life. This constant running, the danger… I can't live like this. I won't. Not anymore."

Luca's eyes harden, but there's a flicker of something softer behind the anger. "I'm doing this to protect you. Don't you get that? Everything I do, everything I've done—it's for you. For us."

She takes a deep breath, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "I didn't ask for this life, Luca. And I can't keep living in the shadows, hiding from the truth. I need more than this."

The silence between them is deafening, the air thick with the weight of their unspoken truths. For a moment, neither of them knows what to say.

But then Luca steps toward her, his eyes softening just a fraction. "I don't know how to fix this, Gianna. But I'll try. I'll do whatever it takes."

And in that moment, as their gazes meet, Gianna knows the fight isn't over. It's just beginning.

Just as the tension between them reaches its peak, the sound of approaching footsteps reaches their ears—heavy, purposeful. They freeze, their eyes locking as the unmistakable sound of Moretti's men closing in grows louder.

Gianna's heart races. This is it. The moment they've been dreading.

And she knows, as she looks at Luca, that everything they've fought for, everything they've built, is about to be tested in ways they can't even imagine.