Chapter 7 - The Face of the Devil
Dante looked around the room, the reality of his complete and total defeat finally crashing down on him. His empire was gone. His money was gone. His men were outnumbered and outgunned. But instead of surrendering, the absolute madness of his desperation took over.
With a wild yell, Dante didn't aim at Luca. He spun around and fired three blind shots into the ceiling, diving through the secondary exit toward the main staircase. His two mercenaries weren't so lucky; the moment they raised their weapons, a synchronized volley of suppressed gunfire dropped them instantly to the kitchen floor.
"Secure the perimeter!" Luca roared, his calm facade shattering as he drew his own weapon and bolted up the stairs after Dante. "Marco, check the security feeds! Don't let him near the third floor!"
Upstairs in the study, I heard the muffled thuds of gunfire from below. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I looked around the room, searching for any weapon, my hand closing around a heavy silver letter opener on the desk.
Suddenly, the heavy oak door of the study exploded inward, splintered by a heavy kick.
Dante stumbled into the room, his face covered in sweat and dirt, blood dripping from a graze on his shoulder where a stray bullet had caught him. He looked completely unhinged, his eyes wild and bloodshot as they locked onto me.
"You!" he screamed, lunging across the room and grabbing me by the hair before I could dodge. He dragged me violently against his chest, pressing the hot barrel of his gun against my temple. "You betrayed me! You miserable, useless bitch! You ruined everything!"
The pain in my scalp was intense, but the terror that had controlled my life for years suddenly transformed into pure, unadulterated fury. "I didn't ruin you, Dante," I spat, ignoring the gun at my head. "You ruined yourself the day you thought my silence meant weakness."
"Shut up!" he screamed, his grip tightening as footsteps echoed rapidly down the hallway.
Luca burst into the room, his gun raised, but he instantly froze as he saw Dante using me as a human shield. Behind him, Marco and three other guards lined the doorway, their weapons locked on Dante’s head.
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"Step back, Moretti!" Dante shouted, his voice cracking with hysterical panic. "Step back or I’ll blow her brains out right here! I have nothing left to lose! I’ll take her down with me!"
Luca’s face was a mask of absolute terror—not for himself, but for me. The legendary monster of the city looked completely helpless as he slowly lowered his weapon. "Don't do it, Dante. Let her go, and we can negotiate a way out of the city for you. Just don't hurt her."
