Crimson vows

**Chapter 7: Into the Shadows**

**Valentina's POV**
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The cold bites at my skin as I step out of the car, the night air sharp and unforgiving.

I glance around, my breath coming in shallow gasps as the realization of what I'm doing sinks in. I'm disobeying Luca's orders, walking straight into a situation that could get me killed.

But I can't stay in that car. Not when the only thing I've done since this nightmare started is wait. Wait for Luca to make decisions. Wait for him to save me. Wait for things to happen around me while I sit back, powerless.
I can't do it anymore.

My boots crunch against the gravel as I move cautiously along the edge of the dock, keeping my head low and staying close to the shadows.

My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's echoing in the silence around me. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to turn back, but I force myself to keep going. I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this for me.

1 spot Luca in the distance, his tall figure unmistakable as he speaks with Matteo and a few of his men. I can't hear what they're saying, but the tension in their body language is obvious.

They're gearing up for something big, something dangerous. The weight of it presses down on me, making it harder to breathe.

1 crouch behind a stack of crates, my hands gripping the rough wood as I strain to hear anything. Every sound feels magnified--the lapping of the water against the pier, the distant hum of the city, the shuffle of footsteps in the distance.

Then I hear it.

A low murmur of voices, coming from the far end of the dock.

1 peer around the corner, and my blood runs cold. Matvey's men are here. At least a dozen of them, lingering in the shadows, their weapons barely visible beneath their coats.

They're waiting for something-for someone. I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. This isn't just some meeting. This is an ambush.

I turn back, my heart racing as I look toward Luca. He's standing too far away, too distracted. He doesn't see them. He doesn't know they're coming.
Panic claws at my chest, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I feel utterly powerless again.

What can I do? I'm not a part of this world. I'm not trained for this. I don't even have a weapon.

But if I don't act, Luca and his men are walking into a trap.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to think clearly. There's no time to run back to the car and hide. I can't warn Luca without exposing myself. But if I don't do something, this could go very, very wrong.

glance around, my eyes searching the area desperately until they land on a rusted metal pipe lying discarded nearby. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. I grab it, the cold metal heavy in my hands, and slowly edge closer to where Luca is standing. Justas I'm about to make my move, a shadow falls over me.

"Going somewhere, princess?"

The voice is cold, mocking, and I freeze, every muscle in my body going rigid. Slowly, I turn to face the man standing behind me.

One of Matvey's men, his face twisted into a cruel smirk.

1 grip the pipe tighter, my mind racing as I try to think of a way out. But before I can react, he lunges at me, his hand closing around my wrist with a vice-like grip. I swing the pipe instinctively, but he's faster, knocking it out of my hand with a brutal shove.

"Bad idea," he sneers, his breath hot against my ear as he pulls me closer. "You're coming with me."

Fear courses through me like ice, but I don't scream. I won't give him the satisfaction.