Lussaria; Her Final Blade

chapter 17

Rosa scanned the ballroom when Sonia leaned in, her voice a mere whisper. “I got what we came for. The drive’s in the office. But we’ll need to fight our way out.”

Rosa’s pulse quickened. She’d known things could go sideways, but this fast? “How many?”

“Not sure. But these are Dante's men we’re dealing with highly-trained security. We’ll need to be fast and precise.”

Before Rosa could respond, she caught sight of two guards approaching the door. She gave a small nod, signaling to Nolan, who was already on alert. The tension was palpable, but no one flinched. They had trained for this.

Without a word, Sonia slipped a smoke grenade from her bag, tossing it into the air. The room was immediately shrouded in thick, acrid smoke, causing a brief moment of confusion.

“Move!” Rosa hissed, dashing for the office door. She could hear the sound of bodies shifting in the smoke behind them, but she wasn’t looking back. Not yet.

They had only a few seconds before the guards regained their bearings. Rosa’s gloved hand landed on the cold brass doorknob, twisting it open. She didn’t hesitate, her eyes locking onto the desk ahead. There, in plain view, was the drive—just as Sonia had said.

But as she reached for it, a voice rang out from the doorway, low and menacing.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Rosa.”

Rosa’s heart skipped a beat as the figure stepped into the office, the smoke still billowing behind him. He was tall, muscular, with a dark mask covering half of his face

Dante?

was the only name she could think of at this moment

In one fluid motion, Rosa drew her gun, aiming it squarely at his chest. “I don’t need a lecture,” she spat, voice sharp and precise. “Step aside.”

The man’s lips curled into a smirk, unfazed. “You really think you can walk out of here with that?”

Before Rosa could respond, a second man stepped out from the shadows, rushing her with surprising speed. She barely had time to react as he grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. The gun dropped from her hand, clattering to the floor.

Nolan was right behind her, but the fight was already on. He lunged for the attacker, throwing an elbow that sent the man reeling. Nolan wasn’t just fast—he was brutal. He delivered a quick knee to the man’s stomach, forcing him to stumble back with a grunt.

“Get the drive!” Nolan shouted, his eyes darting to Rosa’s weapon on the ground.

But the first man wasn’t finished. He was on Rosa in an instant, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her against the wall. His grip tightened, cutting off her air.

Rosa struggled, kicking her legs out, searching for any leverage. Then, just as quickly as it started, a knife appeared in her hand—a hidden blade she always carried for moments like these. With a swift, practiced motion, she plunged the knife into the man’s side. He gasped in surprise, releasing her, just long enough for her to break free.

Nolan was on him immediately, kicking the man to the ground with brutal force. The man writhed in pain but didn’t get up.

Rosa grabbed the flash drive from the desk and shoved it into her clutch. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

But as they turned to leave, more footsteps echoed down the hallway, a small army of Dante’s men closing in. They had to fight their way out, and it wouldn’t be easy.