A Dance with Danger

Chapter Seventy-Four

**Estelle's POV**

The soft lullaby I sang to Madox seemed to fill the tense silence of the dimly lit room. His small body was curled into mine, his head resting gently against my chest. The world outside felt like it was falling apart, but in this moment, I wanted to shield him from it all. 

As I hummed the last few notes, a deafening explosion shattered the air, rattling the walls and sending a violent tremor through the floor. My breath hitched, my grip on Madox tightening. 

"What was that!?" Madox’s panicked voice trembled as his small hands clutched at my shirt. 

I didn’t have time to answer. I crouched, shielding him with my body as debris rained from the ceiling, dust and smoke filling the air. The acrid scent of fire stung my nose. Every instinct in me screamed that we had to move—now. 

The door to our room burst open, a battered guard staggering in, his face pale, his shirt soaked with blood. 

"Run…" he rasped, collapsing to his knees. "They’re coming…." 

My heart pounded. 

"Madox, stay close," I whispered urgently, hoisting him into my arms. His tiny fingers gripped my shirt even tighter. 

"Where are we going, Estelle?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Somewhere safe," I promised, though I wasn’t sure where that was anymore. 

I threw a small bag over my shoulder and sprinted out of the room, moving swiftly down the long, dimly lit corridors. Gunfire rang out in the distance, shouts and screams mixing into the chaos. My pulse roared in my ears as I navigated the maze-like building, my every thought consumed with getting Madox out alive. 

Then, I saw them. 

Across the large atrium, Asher and Ilya were locked in a brutal fight against Cesare’s men. Ilya moved like a ghost, weaving through enemies with calculated precision, while Asher fought with raw power, his fists landing bone-crushing blows. 

But they were trapped. 

A rusted railing separated us, a gaping drop between the second and first floors. I could see their mouths moving, see them shouting orders—but the chaos swallowed their voices. 

"Asher! Ilya!" I screamed, but they couldn’t hear me. 

I took a desperate step forward, trying to find another way to them, when suddenly—

Madox screamed. 

I spun around just in time to see Cesare and Roman looming over us. 

Cesare’s cruel smirk was the last thing I saw before his hand clamped down on my wrist like a vice, yanking me backward. My world tilted. The hallway blurred as I struggled, but his grip was unrelenting. 

Madox thrashed in Roman’s arms, kicking and screaming. "Let me go! Estelle!" 

"Let him go, you bastard!" I fought, twisting and kicking, but Cesare was stronger, his grip bruising. 

"You thought you could escape?" Roman sneered, tightening his hold on Madox. The malice in his eyes sent ice through my veins. 

"You’re mine, Estelle," he whispered. 

Rage surged through me. 

I clawed at Cesare’s arm, slamming my elbow into his ribs, making him grunt. Seizing the moment, I wrenched my body away, managing to free one hand. 

Roman cursed, his grip on Madox slipping for just a second—enough for me to swing my leg up, landing a brutal kick to his knee. He stumbled with a snarl. 

I lunged for Madox, my fingers brushing his wrist— 

A sharp, burning pain exploded across my cheek as Cesare backhanded me.  I crashed to the ground, vision spinning. Madox screamed again, but this time, I couldn’t reach him. 

Cesare loomed over me, his dark eyes cold. "You’ve always been foolish, Estelle. Always thinking you had a choice." 

I spat blood onto the floor and glared up at him. "I don’t belong to you."  His lips curled into a smirk. "We’ll see about that." 

Before I could react, they dragged us outside.  The salty breeze hit my face as we stumbled into an open clearing by the docks. The moonlight reflected off the dark water, waves crashing against the wooden planks. The smell of the ocean mixed with the stench of **blood and gunpowder**. 

And standing at the edge of the dock, waiting—were the Kavouris men.

Ilya. Damien. Tiberius. 

Alongside them stood Connor, Killian, and Asher.

Relief warred with terror. My heart pounded as I took in the scene—Tiberius, at the front, his gun already raised. 

Cesare’s grip on my arm tightened. "Looks like your knights in shining armor have arrived," he mocked. 

Roman’s hand wrapped around my throat from behind, his breath hot against my ear. "They can’t save you, Estelle." 

I stopped struggling.

I met Ilya’s gaze across the dock. His eyes—cold, sharp—locked onto mine, understanding passing between us in an instant. 

Then—Tiberius fired first. 

The bullet whizzed past my cheek, slamming straight into Roman’s skull. 

His body stiffened, eyes widening in shock. A small, perfect hole in the center of his forehead. 

Then he crumpled. 

I sucked in a breath, heart hammering as Roman’s lifeless body hit the dock beside me. 

Chaos erupted. 

Gunfire exploded through the night, the battle igniting like a storm.

Tiberius moved in front of me and Madox, shielding us as bullets flew. I pressed Madox against my chest, whispering reassurances into his ear as he trembled. 

Ilya darted forward like a shadow, taking down two men before they could react. Damien followed, his strikes brutal and precise. Killian and Connor fought beside them, gunfire lighting up the night. 

Cesare sneered, stepping back, but I saw the hesitation in his eyes. 

"You’ll regret this, Estelle," he snarled. 

I stepped forward, unflinching. "No, Cesare. You’re the one who lost everything tonight." 

His eyes narrowed. 

Then he turned and ran.

Ilya aimed his gun after him, but I grabbed his wrist, shaking my head. 

"Let him go." My voice was steady, even as my pulse roared in my ears. "He’s already lost." 

For a moment, no one moved. The air was thick with gunpowder and salt, the sounds of dying men fading into the waves. 

Then, Tiberius turned to me, his eyes dark but calm. "Are you hurt?" 

I looked down at Madox, his small hands gripping my shirt, his eyes wide but determined. 

"We’re okay," I whispered. 

Tiberius nodded. "Then let’s go home." 

I held Madox tighter and followed them away from the bloodstained dock, the weight of the past finally lifting from my shoulders. 

I was free.