Sinful Flames

Chapter 54

The world around me was dim and unfocused, blurred by the haze of pain. Chiara’s voice was the last thing I heard, calling my name through the chaos, the desperation in her tone slicing through the fog that was slowly swallowing me whole. Her pleas for me to stay awake, to hold on—it was the only thing that mattered in that moment, and it broke my heart in ways I couldn’t even begin to understand.

I wanted to reach out to her, to grab her hand and pull her close, to keep her safe, but my body was betraying me. The pain radiating from my abdomen was unbearable, a fire that consumed every inch of me. I could barely breathe, let alone move, as everything faded into darkness.

But in the darkness, I wasn’t alone. I could still hear her, still feel her presence. Chiara. My tuono, my storm. She was calling me, her voice echoing through the fog, and I knew I had to find her. I had to reach her, no matter how much it hurt.

I forced myself to take a step forward, feeling like I was moving through water, each movement slow and heavy. The pain didn’t fade, but I pushed through it, focusing on her voice, on the sound of her calling for me.

“Gabriel,” she cried, her voice trembling. I could see her now, standing in the distance, her eyes wide with fear and desperation. She reached out for me, her hand trembling. “Please, come back to me.”

I tried to run, to close the distance between us, but the pain in my body was relentless, dragging me down like an anchor. Every step felt like a battle, my legs weak, my vision clouding with every passing second. But I kept moving, kept pushing, because Chiara needed me.

Then, suddenly, a shadow appeared behind her. It moved so fast, too fast for me to stop it. My heart dropped as the figure grabbed her, pulling her away from me. She screamed, her hand slipping from mine as she was dragged into the darkness.

“No!” I shouted, forcing myself to move faster, to reach her before it was too late. But the more I tried, the further away she got, her voice growing fainter and fainter until there was nothing left but silence.

I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, my body giving out beneath me. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t protect her.

The darkness swallowed me whole.

---

I woke up with a violent jolt, my heart racing in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath. My body was drenched in sweat, and the pain... the pain was back, sharp and all-consuming. I groaned, trying to move, but something was holding me down. My hands were tied—no, not tied. Tubes. I was connected to a mess of tubes, machines beeping steadily beside me, the cold sterility of the room making it clear where I was.

A hospital.

I blinked, trying to clear my head. The fog from the dream still lingered, but it was fading fast, replaced by the agonizing reality of where I was. I lifted a hand, my muscles weak, and touched my abdomen, feeling the thick bandages wrapped tightly around me.

That’s when the memories came flooding back—the cabin, the fight, Marco, Gio, Antonio collapsing... Chiara being dragged away.

I clenched my jaw, forcing back the surge of emotions that threatened to choke me. I needed to find her. I needed to know if she was okay.

“Gabriel?”

I looked to my right, seeing Matteo sitting in a chair beside the bed, his face pale and drawn. His eyes were red, like he hadn’t slept in days. He must have been watching over me.

When he saw I was awake, he quickly got to his feet and rushed out of the room, calling for the doctor. Moments later, a team of doctors and nurses came in, checking the machines, muttering to one another as they examined me.

I didn’t care about any of it. I didn’t care about the pain or the doctors or the fact that I had just barely survived a gunshot wound. The only thing that mattered was Chiara.

When the doctors finally finished their assessments, they spoke to Matteo quietly, exchanging information that I barely registered. All I could focus on was the burning question in my mind.

“Where is she?” My voice was hoarse, weak, but I forced the words out.

Matteo’s expression darkened, and he hesitated for a moment, like he was trying to figure out how to tell me the worst news of my life. “She’s gone, Gabriel,” he said quietly. “Marco and Gio took her.”

The room spun around me, and the blood in my veins turned to ice. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, forcing me back down. I winced, gripping the edge of the bed, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing through my heart.

“Where did they take her?” I demanded, my voice stronger now, fueled by desperation.

“I don’t know,” Matteo said, his face grim. “I’ve been trying to track them down, but so far, nothing. They’ve covered their tracks well.”

My hands curled into fists, the frustration boiling over inside me. How could I have let this happen? How could I have let them take her? I had sworn to protect her, to keep her safe, and I had failed her in the worst possible way.

Matteo reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Gabriel, you need to rest. We’ll find her, but you can’t do anything if you push yourself too hard.”

“Get out,” I said, my voice cold and final.

Matteo looked taken aback, but he didn’t argue. He nodded and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

The second I was alone, the dam broke. Tears burned in my eyes as I ripped the tubes from my arms, the pain in my abdomen forgotten as I struggled to free myself from the machines. The beeping grew erratic, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stay here, couldn’t sit idly by while Chiara was out there, alone and terrified.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, wincing as the pain hit me full force, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The physical pain was nothing compared to the anguish tearing me apart inside. I could still hear her voice, still see her face, the way she had looked at me before Marco had dragged her away.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I’m so sorry.”

I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t.

With every ounce of strength I had left, I vowed to find her. To bring her back. I didn’t care how many people I had to kill, how many lives I had to destroy. I would burn the world to the ground if it meant keeping her safe.

And when I found her, I would never let her go again.

“I’m coming for you, Tuono,” I whispered, my vision blurring with the tears I couldn’t hold back any longer. “I swear, I’m coming for you.”