𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑥 ✔︎ || 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑑

26

~ phoenix ~

"I didn't join any mafia."

I nearly sank to the floor with relief. "So you mean that pesky step-brother of yours was lying."

Gianna stood silently for a moment before muttering, "Not exactly."

I furrowed my brows, my heart rate spiking once more. "Gianna, what do you mean?" I kissed my teeth in annoyance, growing frustrated with all these half riddles. "Tell me everything. Please."

Silence.

"Please, Gia," I pleaded, almost dissolving into tears, "I just feel like-" my voice trembled dangerously "-I feel like since that night in Milan, I don't know who you are anymore. I don't want to lose you, Gianna, especially not after everything that's happened."

Here, I was pouring my heart out and she remained wordless.

I sighed-

"I did it because I had no other choice, Phoenix," she whispered suddenly.

I might have not heard her words if I stood another yard away, but I did and the raw pain in her voice robbed me of words.

"I needed to save you, Phee," Gianna said, almost pleadingly. "Their help was the only way without-" She didn't finish.

Or maybe she did. But I wouldn't have heard it for the massive explosion that tore through the world. The ground beneath our feet shook angrily and I saw Gianna topple to her knees before I did. Panic filled my senses as sirens screamed inside the building.

"What- what's happening?" I gasped, fighting to stay on all fours. The tremors kept coming.

"An attack," was all Gianna said before dragging me to my feet and out of the room.

She pushed past men with guns, towing me along as she navigated the unfamiliar halls. Another ear-crushing boom rocked the surface. We screamed.

I fell once again, losing my balance on the trembling marble floors. Gianna leapt towards me and suddenly froze when she looked over my head. I saw her eyes widen and the shape of a curse on her lips.

All of a sudden, gunfire began. This seemed to bring her back to her senses and she hauled me up and to a side. We flew down three flights of stairs until we reached what looked like a bunker. Without missing a beat, she punched in a code on the keypad beside the entrance and ushered me in. I wanted to ask what she saw but we didn't pause for breath. The crazed brunette grabbed a dark vest and threw it at me. Obediently, I shrugged it on as she did the same with another. Then, to my horror, she began to load a small handgun. Even worse, she soon thrust it at me.

Seeing the hesitation on my features, she barked, "Take it Phoenix! We don't have time!"

I was still frozen, terrified with the prospect of having to shoot that thing. I'd only ever touched a gun when I stole Ilya's but even then, I knew I couldn't possibly use it. And I couldn't now either.

Gianna didn't seem to get the hint. Grabbing my hand, she pressed the cold metal into it. "Only use it if you must."

With trembling fingers, I secured the weapon in my grip.

Then, she grabbed her own and was pushing me out again. Towards the deafening chaos.

"Wait!" I yelled, "Aren't we staying here?"

"This is the first place they'll look, Phoenix. These two-inch steel walls won't even withstand the bullets of a Magnum let alone their C4s."

I ignored the rest of her baffling words and deadlocked onto one. "Who's they?" My heart raced. Is that what she saw?

Gianna didn't answer but only dragged me further into the war zone towards another set of stairs.

Wrenching my arm out of her grip, I planted my feet firmly to the ground. "Who's they, Gianna?" I demanded, feeling unfamiliar emotions surging in my blood. Was it...?

She stood silently for a moment. Finally, she muttered, "Ivanov."

𝑥𝑜
𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖆𝖛𝖎