Vows in Blood
935 Words
Chapter 21 — Vows in Blood
(Dual POV — Aria & Damian)
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Aria’s POV
I woke to the sound of machines beeping.
The ceiling above me blurred as my eyelids fluttered open, the white hospital lights stabbing through my skull like knives. My throat was dry, my lips cracked, and every breath burned like fire.
For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was.
Then it all came back.
The shipyard.
Victor.
Sofia.
The gunshot.
My trembling fingers instinctively reached for my side, and pain ripped through me like lightning.
A sharp gasp escaped my lips.
Damian’s voice broke through the haze, deep and raw, edged with something I’d never heard before — fear.
“Aria.”
I turned my head weakly and saw him sitting at my bedside, his black shirt stained with blood — my blood.
His hands gripped mine like he was holding on to life itself. His jaw was clenched, and dark shadows lined his eyes.
“You’re safe,” he said hoarsely.
“You’re safe now.”
I stared at him for a long moment, memories flashing in fragments.
Victor’s words.
Sofia’s betrayal.
And that terrible silence when I’d asked him about my father.
Safe?
I wasn’t safe.
Not from him.
Not from the truth.
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Damian’s POV
Her skin was pale against the hospital sheets, and every rise and fall of her chest felt like a countdown I couldn’t control.
She almost died.
I’d almost lost her.
If that bullet had landed an inch to the left, she wouldn’t be here. And I would’ve burned the entire city down with Victor’s corpse at the center of the flames.
Lucas walked into the room, his expression tight.
“We found one of Victor’s safehouses,” he said quietly.
“Abandoned. Clean. He’s on the move again.”
I nodded once, jaw tightening.
“Then burn it.”
Lucas hesitated.
“Damian, the cops are already sniffing around—”
“Burn. It.”
He didn’t argue after that.
I turned back to Aria, my chest tightening when I saw her watching me.
Her eyes — glassy, tired, but unrelenting — locked on mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered, her voice rough and fragile.
I froze.
“Tell you what?”
Her breath hitched.
“About my father.”
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Aria’s POV
My chest felt tight, every word scraping my throat like broken glass.
“I need the truth, Damian,” I said, forcing the words out.
“No more lies. No more silence.”
For a moment, he said nothing. His jaw locked, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Then he sighed, leaning forward, his forehead brushing against mine.
“You think I killed him,” he murmured.
My heart stuttered.
“Did you?”
He was silent again.
And that silence was louder than any confession.
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Damian’s POV
Her eyes searched mine like they were trying to tear through every wall I’d built over the years.
I wanted to tell her.
God, I wanted to tell her everything.
But if she knew the truth now, it would destroy her.
“I didn’t pull the trigger,” I said finally, voice low and sharp.
“But I am the reason he’s dead.”
Her breath caught.
I saw the way her chest rose and fell, uneven, fragile.
“Damian…” she whispered, her voice breaking on my name.
Before I could explain more, Lucas burst back into the room, his face pale.
“We have a problem,” he said.
“Victor just sent us a message.”
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Aria’s POV
I forced myself upright despite the pain burning through my body.
“A message?” I croaked, my voice barely audible.
Lucas nodded, looking between us.
“He has Sofia.”
My breath hitched.
My best friend.
My betrayer.
“He wants a trade,” Lucas continued grimly.
“You… for her.”
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Damian’s POV
My blood turned to ice.
“No,” I growled.
“He doesn’t get her. Not now. Not ever.”
Lucas met my gaze, unflinching.
“He said if we don’t give Aria to him by midnight…”
His jaw tightened.
“He’ll send Sofia back in pieces.”
Aria’s trembling voice cut through the silence.
“Damian… we have to save her.”
I turned to her, my voice a razor’s edge.
“She held a gun to your head.”
“She’s still my friend,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“She saved me once. I owe her.”
I clenched my fists, every instinct screaming to lock her away somewhere safe.
But the fire in her eyes…
I couldn’t deny her.
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Aria’s POV
“I’m going with you,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt.
Damian’s expression turned lethal instantly.
“Absolutely not.”
“You don’t get to decide for me,” I shot back, forcing myself to meet his glare.
“This is my fight too.”
The tension between us was sharp, electric, dangerous.
He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear, his voice a dark promise.
“You step into his world again, Aria… and I can’t save you.”
I met his gaze, unflinching.
“Then don’t save me,” I whispered.
“Fight with me.”
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Cliffhanger Ending
Lucas’ phone buzzed.
He answered, his face draining of color instantly.
“It’s a live feed,” he whispered.
Victor’s voice came through the speaker, low and mocking:
> “Tick-tock, Blackwood. Midnight’s coming.”
Then the sound of Sofia screaming filled the room.
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