As we race away in the car, a storm of anger and fear swells inside me. How could she be so reckless? How could she risk everything like that?
When the empty road stretches before us, I slam on the brakes, my heart pounding in my chest. I throw the...
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The air was thick with tension, every muscle in my body taut as I watched the scene unfolding before me. My parents—Marco with his wounded hand, his face twisted in shock and fury; Isabelle, standing by his side, seething with betrayal. And then there was Gio, stepping across the invisible line, away from them and toward Gabriel. His eyes met mine briefly, and the calm resolve I saw in them nearly took my breath away. The look between him and Gabriel was unmistakable. They’d planned this, somehow, and in that moment, I knew they’d silently chosen each other over the ruthless paths my parents had carved out for them.
Gabriel pulled me close to him, his eyes filled with unspoken promises and fierce protectiveness as his arm wrapped around my shoulder. I could see the bruises forming on his face, blood trickling from a cut on his jaw, and I instinctively reached up, wiping the blood away with my thumb. For a moment, we were lost in each other, the world falling away.
“Can you two save the romantic reunion for later?” Gio said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he watched us. He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “We’re still in the middle of a gunfight, if you haven’t noticed.”
I shot him a defiant look. “We’re perfectly aware, Gio. Don’t you worry about us.”
He just rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath before reaching into his jacket. He handed me a gun, pressing it firmly into my hand, and then one to Gabriel. “Try not to be too obvious, yeah?”
I took the gun, gripping it with steady hands as I prepared myself. Gabriel gave me a nod, the kind of nod that carried years of trust, and I felt a surge of confidence in his silent support. My parents, now across the room, had quickly gathered themselves, their eyes darkening as they realized Gio had truly betrayed them.
“You ungrateful child,” Isabelle spat at Gio, her voice slicing through the air like a knife. Her eyes darted to Gabriel and me, her expression livid. “You’re all as pathetic as each other. None of you understand what real power is.”
Marco, grimacing with his injured hand, looked ready to lunge forward, but Gabriel’s men quickly intervened, aiming their guns with precision. I kept my gun raised, feeling the weight of it steadying me, grounding me for what was about to unfold. My father’s face twisted in a mix of pain and betrayal, but I pushed the emotions aside, knowing I couldn’t afford to falter.
In the midst of the chaos, I couldn’t help but notice Gabriel watching me as I took my place by his side, my gun trained on my parents. There was something like pride glinting in his eyes, and it bolstered my strength. He gave me a barely-there smile, one that seemed to say, That’s my girl.
Then everything erupted into movement. My parents retaliated, attempting to break through the ring of Gabriel’s men. Isabelle fired her gun, sending a shot in Gio’s direction, but he dodged with an irritated sigh, clearly growing more annoyed with every second of this confrontation.
“Can we wrap this up? I swear, you two are more dramatic than any soap opera,” he muttered, deflecting one of Isabelle’s attacks with practiced ease.
Gabriel and I exchanged a quick, knowing glance, and together we fought back, matching our parents’ aggression with unyielding force. Every shot, every movement felt like a step closer to freedom, as if with each action, I was reclaiming the parts of me they’d tried to suppress. In the midst of the skirmish, I caught Gabriel watching me, his gaze filled with pride, while Gio simply looked fed up, muttering something about “rookie mistakes” and “wasting time.”
Finally, the FBI arrived, their presence swiftly filling the room as they surrounded my parents and forced them into submission. The chief approached Gabriel, nodding in acknowledgment. “Thank you, Gabriel. We’ll handle it from here.”
As Isabelle and Marco were led away in cuffs, a surreal sense of relief washed over me, mixed with something deeper, more bittersweet. It was over—or at least, so I thought.
Suddenly, Isabelle’s hand shot out, snatching a gun from one of the agents. In a split second, she aimed it toward me, her face twisted with rage. I barely registered the movement, my body frozen as she squeezed the trigger.
But before the bullet could reach me, Marco threw himself in front of me, shielding me from her wrath. He took the bullet, the force of it sending him staggering backward. My breath hitched as I watched him fall, disbelief flooding my senses.
“No…” I whispered, rushing to him, feeling a strange, unbearable weight settle in my chest. I knelt beside him, my hands trembling as I pressed them to his wound, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood.
Isabelle, standing only feet away, looked on in shock, her eyes wide with horror. She raised the gun once more, but before she could pull the trigger, one of the FBI agents tackled her, and in a final, chilling moment, she turned the gun on herself, pulling the trigger. The sound echoed through the room, a bitter, hollow end to a lifetime of violence.
I barely registered Isabelle’s fall; my focus was solely on Marco. His face was pale, his breaths shallow, yet a faint smile touched his lips as he looked up at me, the anger and hardness gone from his eyes. In their place, there was something almost gentle, a look I’d never seen before.
“Dad…” The word slipped out, raw and unguarded. I hadn’t called him that in so long, but it felt right in that moment, like some part of me had been waiting for this all along.
He let out a small, shuddering breath, his hand moving to cover mine. “I… I finally heard it.” His voice was weak, but there was a flicker of peace in his eyes. “After all these years.”
Tears blurred my vision as I held onto him, feeling the warmth drain from his body with every passing second. I wasn’t ready for this, for him to slip away, not after everything.
“I’m sorry…” I whispered, not sure if I was apologizing to him or to myself. But he only shook his head, his grip on my hand loosening.
“Don’t be,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “You… you’re stronger than I ever was. Don’t… don’t waste that.”
With a final, faint smile, he took one last breath, and his hand fell from mine, leaving me with an emptiness I hadn’t anticipated.
Gabriel knelt beside me, his presence grounding me as I stared at my father’s lifeless form, torn between grief and a strange sense of closure. Gio joined us, his expression softened, though he couldn’t resist one last sigh, muttering under his breath.
“Can we please stop with the tragic endings now?” he quipped, folding his arms. “I’m getting tired of you two and your drama.”
I shot him a glare, managing a faint smile through the tears. “You love it, Gio. Admit it.”
He rolled his eyes, but I saw the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Gabriel reached for my hand, his fingers threading through mine as he pulled me to my feet. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. His presence, his support—it was everything I needed in that moment.
With one last glance at the chaos we were leaving behind, I took a deep breath, finally letting go of the weight that had kept me bound to a past I was ready to leave behind. The future awaited, and with Gabriel and even Gio by my side, I knew I was ready to face whatever lay ahead.
