CHAPTER5
962 Words
Before she could argue again, Lorenzo shifted his position, moving low and fast toward the window. He peered out, then cursed under his breath.
“They’re in the trees.” His grip on the gun tightened. “At least three of them.”
Elena’s pulse raced. “Who are they?”
Lorenzo didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the hallway. The house was eerily silent, except for the distant sound of movement outside.
Then a new sound.
The front door creaking open.
Elena’s stomach dropped. “They’re inside.”
Lorenzo’s jaw clenched. “Stay behind me.”
He moved first, gun raised, every step controlled and deliberate. Elena followed, her bare feet barely making a sound against the cold floor.
They reached the staircase just as a shadow moved in the doorway.
A man.
Dressed in black.
Armed.
Lorenzo didn’t hesitate. He fired.
The gunshot was deafening, the man dropping instantly. But before he even hit the ground, two more figures rushed in.
Lorenzo grabbed Elena, pushing her behind the staircase as bullets rained down.
She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
Then silence.
A moment of stillness.
Lorenzo exhaled slowly, gun still raised.
Then, a voice echoed through the house.
Calm. Amused.
“Lorenzo. Long time no see.”
Elena felt his body tense beside her.
Whoever this was… Lorenzo knew him.
And that terrified her more than the gunmen outside.
Lorenzo’s voice was tight. “Adrian.”
Elena’s blood ran cold.
She knew that name.
Adrian Moretti.
A name spoken in hushed tones. A ghost from the past.
He had once been a powerful figure in the Cosa Nostra—until he betrayed them and disappeared.
But now, he was here.
And he had brought an army with him.
The footsteps grew louder.
A shadow appeared at the base of the staircase.
Then a pair of piercing green eyes locked onto Elena’s.
And Adrian Moretti smiled.
“Did you really think he could keep you safe from me?
Elena’s breath caught in her throat as Adrian Moretti stepped forward.
His green eyes gleamed in the dim light, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips. He looked exactly how she had heard in whispers—dangerous, untouchable, a man who should have been dead long ago.
But he wasn’t.
He was here.
Lorenzo didn’t lower his gun. His entire body was rigid, his stance tense, like a wolf ready to pounce.
“What do you want, Adrian?” Lorenzo’s voice was sharp, controlled.
Adrian chuckled. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
Lorenzo’s expression didn’t change. “You’re no friend of mine.”
Adrian sighed dramatically, then turned his gaze to Elena. His eyes dragged over her, slow and deliberate, making her skin crawl.
“So this is the girl?” he mused. “The one who’s got the mighty Lorenzo Salvatore acting like a lovesick fool.”
Lorenzo’s jaw clenched.
Adrian smirked. “Relax. I don’t want her.” He tilted his head. “But the people I work for? They’re very interested.”
A chill ran down Elena’s spine.
Lorenzo shifted, placing himself between them. “You’re making a mistake.”
Adrian laughed. “No, Lorenzo. You made the mistake when you thought you could keep her hidden. Did you really think the Albanians wouldn’t find out?”
Elena’s stomach dropped.
Albanians.
The very name made her blood run cold.
She had only heard bits and pieces—how they were expanding their influence, making dangerous alliances. But why would they want her?
Adrian took another step closer. “You have two choices, Lorenzo. Hand her over, and I walk out of here peacefully.” He paused, eyes gleaming. “Or we do this the hard way.”
Lorenzo’s grip on his gun tightened.
The room was suffocating, the air thick with tension.
Elena’s mind raced. She knew Lorenzo wasn’t going to give her up. But if Adrian had an army outside, how could they escape?
Then Adrian sighed, shaking his head. “I was hoping you’d be smarter than this, Lorenzo.”
He lifted a hand.
And in that split second, everything erupted.
Gunfire exploded through the house.
Lorenzo grabbed Elena, yanking her behind him as bullets rained down. The walls splintered, glass shattered, and the scent of gunpowder filled the air.
Elena barely had time to react before Lorenzo pulled her toward the back door.
“Run!” he shouted.
Her feet barely touched the ground as she followed him.
The night was cold against her skin as they burst outside. But the moment they stepped into the open—
More gunfire.
Elena gasped as bullets hit the ground near her feet.
Lorenzo pulled her behind a car, his gun raised, eyes scanning the darkness.
Moretti’s men were everywhere.
They were surrounded.
Lorenzo exhaled sharply. “Damn it.”
Elena’s chest heaved. She could barely think, barely breathe.
And then
A familiar voice echoed in the night.
Low. Cold. Deadly.
“You’re not getting out of this alive, Lorenzo.”
Adrian’s voice.
Coming from somewhere unseen.
Lorenzo’s hand tightened around his gun.
But before he could react
A bullet struck his shoulder.
Lorenzo stumbled back, cursing in pain.
Elena’s scream was lost in the chaos.
Blood seeped through his shirt, dark and glistening under the moonlight.
Lorenzo gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand.
But Adrian’s men were closing in.
Elena’s heart pounded.
Lorenzo was hurt. They were outnumbered.
And Adrian Moretti was enjoying every second of it.
Elena’s hands trembled as she pressed against Lorenzo’s wound, desperate to stop the bleeding.
A shadow loomed over them.
Adrian’s laughter echoed in the night.
“Looks like the great Lorenzo Salvatore finally bleeds
- Writer
