The Devil's Choice
512 Words
The car screeched to a halt in an underground garage.
“Get out,” Luca ordered, pulling Adriana from the backseat.
She stumbled. Her legs were numb. “Where’s Dante? Did you hear anything? Is he—”
“He’s alive,” Luca cut her off. He keyed open a steel door. “He’s Dante Moretti. He doesn’t die that easy.”
Inside was a safe room. Concrete walls, one bed, medical kit, weapons lined on a rack. No windows. No escape.
Adriana paced. “He said he chose me. But he’s keeping secrets. What else is he hiding? Who was that man? Why did he look at me like he knew me?”
Luca turned, jaw tight. “You don’t want to know.”
“Tell me.” She grabbed his arm. “Please.”
He hesitated, then spoke low. “Vittorio Moretti is Dante’s half-brother. Same father, different mother. Their father split the empire between them. But Vittorio wanted all of it. He killed their father to get it.”
Adriana’s blood ran cold. “And Dante?”
“Dante killed Vittorio’s mother to stop him. Blood for blood. They’ve been trying to destroy each other since they were 19.” Luca looked away. “The girl you saw in that photo… she was Dante’s fiancée. Vittorio took her. No one’s seen her since.”
The room spun. Adriana gripped the table. “So he lied to me. About everything.”
Before Luca could answer, the door exploded inward.
Dante stood there, blood on his shirt, gun in hand. His eyes locked on Adriana like she was the only thing in the world.
“You’re alive,” he breathed.
She stepped back. “Don’t. Don’t come near me.”
Dante froze. “Adriana—”
“You lied!” Her voice cracked. “About your brother. About your fiancée. About choosing me. You chose revenge!”
“I chose you over him,” Dante said, voice rough. “I killed my father’s men to get to you. I let Vittorio shoot me to buy you time.” He pulled open his shirt. There was a fresh bullet wound, bandaged but bleeding through.
Adriana’s heart twisted. “Why?”
“Because I’m done being the devil for him,” Dante said. He stepped closer, ignoring Luca’s warning. “If you want to hate me, hate me. But don’t leave. Not with him out there. He’ll use you to break me.”
Adriana stared at him. The man who killed for her. Who lied to protect her. Who bled for her.
She lifted her chin. “Then tell me the truth. All of it. No more secrets. Or I walk out that door and never look back.”
Dante’s eyes darkened. For a second she thought he’d refuse.
Then he nodded once. “Fine. The truth. From the beginning.”
He reached for her hand. His fingers were warm, shaking slightly.
Adriana didn’t pull away. Not yet.
Outside, sirens wailed. Vittorio was coming.
And Dante had one chance to keep her.
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- Writer
