Chapter 64

Chapter 64
Sofia's POV

The car jolted over gravel, engine howling as smoke from the compound faded behind us. My wrists burned from the ropes, my ribs sore where Marco had gripped me.

I twisted in the seat. “Let me out!”

Marco didn’t look at me, his hands steady on the wheel. “Save your voice. You’ll need it later.”

“They’ll come,” I shot back. “Luca won’t stop until—”

“Good,” Marco interrupted, calm as ice. “That’s exactly what I want. Let him chase. Let him bleed for you.”

Guards flanked me in the back, rifles heavy across their laps. Even if I broke free, I’d never get past them.

Marco’s phone buzzed. He tapped speaker.

“They’re pinned,” a voice said. “Rafael’s men pressed hard. The brothers are holding, but not for long.”

“Hold them longer,” Marco ordered. “Buy me time.”

“Yes, boss.” The line went dead.

My stomach twisted. “You’re using me.”

His smile flickered in the rearview mirror, sharp and cold. “Finally catching up.”

Back at the compound, chaos was endless.

Luca reloaded, blood dripping into his eyes, firing into the wave of men pushing through smoke. “Push them back!” he roared.

Diego fought like a storm, smashing a rifle butt into a soldier’s jaw before ripping the gun free. “Where the hell is she?!”

Alessandro’s voice cut through, calm but sharp. “She’s gone. Marco has her.”

Luca spun, rage carving into every line of his face. “Then why are we still here?”

“Because if we run now, we’re cut down before we even make it out,” Alessandro snapped.

“I don’t care!” Luca shouted.

“She’s with him,” Diego spat, eyes wild. “That’s worse than being dead.”

Alessandro shoved them both toward the gate, voice iron. “Move! We track him now, or we lose her forever.”

The brothers carved a bloody path out of the compound, through the smoke, until at last they broke free into the cliffs.

Luca bent double, chest heaving. “I saw him drag her. I saw it.”

Diego slammed his fist against the wall. “And we let it happen.”

“Enough,” Alessandro said, his tone final. “We hunt.”

The car screeched through gates of another estate—higher, heavier, every guard alert.

Marco’s men yanked me out, dragging me across the courtyard, up wide marble steps, and into a fortress that pretended to be a palace. Black floors, cold chandeliers, walls of steel beneath the polish.

He poured himself a drink at the bar like he had all the time in the world. “You’ll stay here. When they come for you, I’ll decide who dies first.”

I glared, refusing to sit in the velvet chair he pointed to. “You’ll regret this.”

“Will I?” he asked smoothly. “Love makes men weak. Luca, Diego, Alessandro—they’ll all crumble over you. I don’t need to kill them. I’ll let them destroy themselves for you.”

“You’re a coward.”

He stepped close, his hand snapping to my chin, tilting my face up. “No. I’m the only one willing to play the long game.”

I jerked away, disgusted. “I’d rather drown in that cave than stand beside you.”

His smile thinned. “Careful, little dove.”

The door banged open. A guard panted. “Boss—the Morettis. They’re coming. Fast.”

Marco’s smile returned. “Perfect. Tie her down. I want her front row.”

The brothers moved fast through the forest, torn and bleeding but unstoppable.

Diego crouched low, fingers brushing the dirt. “Tire marks. Heavy. That way.”

“Then move!” Luca snapped, already pushing past.

Alessandro caught his arm. “Rushing blind gets you killed. Strategy keeps her alive.”

Luca yanked free, fury in his voice. “If he touches her—”

Diego cut in, teeth bared. “We won’t let him.”

The three locked eyes, fury binding them tighter than blood.

Alessandro finally said, “Then we hunt.”

Inside, Marco stood on the balcony, sipping calmly as guards lined the walls.

“She’ll see them die,” he murmured.

The first shots cracked. Guards on the outer wall dropped.

Luca and Diego stormed forward, bullets tearing holes, Alessandro behind them, precise and unshaken.

The courtyard erupted with alarms, lights blazing.

“Bring them in alive!” Marco shouted from above.

The guards swarmed, rifles firing.

Luca ripped through them, every shot a roar of rage. Diego fought close, brutal, fists and bullets blending. Alessandro moved like a machine, steady, deliberate.

I thrashed in the chair, ropes cutting deep, voice raw. “LUCA! DIEGO! ALESSANDRO!”

Marco leaned down near my ear, his voice almost playful. “See? They came. Just like I promised.”

The door burst open. Luca stormed in first, wild eyes locking on me. “SOFIA!”

Diego followed, bruised and bloody, teeth clenched. “We’re here!”

Alessandro stepped in last, scanning with calm precision.

Marco yanked me upright, dragging me tight against him, his gun pressing cold at my temple. “One more step, and she dies.”

The brothers froze, weapons raised.

“Drop them,” Marco ordered.

“Not happening,” Luca growled, eyes locked on mine.

“You’ll kill her,” Diego warned, his voice cracking.

Marco smirked. “That’s the point.”

The air stretched tight, every breath heavy, the whole room ready to explode.

Then—engines. Loud. Too many.

Alessandro’s head snapped toward the window. “We’re not alone.”

Lights cut the courtyard. Trucks. Dozens. Soldiers spilling out, rifles raised. A crest painted on their gear.

Rafael’s men.

Marco’s smile faltered for the first time. “No.”

The door behind us blew inward. Rafael strode in, soldiers at his back, his eyes sharp, locked on me.

“She’s mine,” he said coldly.

“No,” Marco spat, dragging me tighter. “She’s mine.”

The room filled with guns. The brothers stood frozen, weapons raised, fury and fear in their faces.

And I stood at the center, Marco’s barrel pressed to my head, as three armies waited for the first shot.

The world held its breath.